More than 800 ministers, scientists and policymakers from around the world have convened in Paris for UNESCO’s 2026 Global Conference of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD)
The gathering comes as UNESCO called for stronger government action to ensure scientific knowledge translates into policies that address climate change, inequality and other global challenges.
The conference, held under the theme “Science in Action: Charting a Sustainable and Equitable Future for All,” serves as a mid-course assessment of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033), a United Nations initiative led by UNESCO to mobilize scientific research in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Opening the conference, UNESCO released the First Global Report of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, offering the most comprehensive assessment yet of progress made during the Decade’s first two years.
The report paints a mixed picture. It highlights unprecedented global scientific mobilization, with nearly 400 endorsed scientific initiatives across 79 countries, US$50 million in confirmed funding, and projects contributing to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
At the same time, it warns that structural inequalities continue to prevent many developing countries from fully participating in scientific research and innovation.
“The world is not lacking scientific knowledge; what we need now are stronger systems to put that knowledge to work for people and the planet,” UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said in a statement marking the conference.
“Two years into the Science Decade, scientists across the world have mobilized with remarkable energy. Governments must now turn this momentum into policies, budgets and measurable impact.”
The conference comes at a time when progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is under mounting pressure from climate disruption, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, widening inequalities and rapid technological change.
According to UNESCO, science must play a far more central role in helping societies understand emerging risks, guide public policy and deliver practical solutions to increasingly complex global problems.
The report argues that the Decade was established not merely to promote more scientific research, but to transform how science is conducted, shared and applied. It seeks to encourage greater collaboration across scientific disciplines, governments and communities while ensuring research is more open, inclusive and responsive to society’s needs.
Participants at the conference are discussing ways to narrow persistent scientific divides between developed and developing countries, improve public trust in science, expand open science practices and strengthen links between researchers and policymakers.
Among the report’s most striking findings is the uneven geographical distribution of scientific initiatives.
Although Africa is home to about 17.5 percent of the world’s population, it accounts for less than 10 percent of the initiatives endorsed under the Science Decade. The report also reveals that funding is not the only obstacle to scientific progress.
About 40 percent of participating initiatives identified poor coordination and governance as their biggest challenge, suggesting that stronger institutions and better policy frameworks are just as important as financial investment.
UNESCO says many African countries and Small Island Developing States continue to face significant barriers, including inadequate scientific infrastructure, limited research capacity and insufficient resources, preventing them from participating fully in global scientific collaboration.
The organization warns that these disparities are not simply scientific challenges but issues of equity, development and human rights. Women and young researchers also continue to face barriers to participating in scientific research, despite growing international efforts to improve inclusion.
The report argues that science should be regarded as a global public good, capable of informing evidence-based policymaking and helping societies respond to interconnected challenges ranging from climate change and public health emergencies to technological disruption, artificial intelligence and biodiversity loss.
However, UNESCO cautions that scientific institutions alone cannot overcome these challenges.
Instead, it says governments must assume greater responsibility by aligning national research funding with sustainable development priorities, reforming research assessment systems, strengthening science-policy interfaces and integrating scientific evidence into national development planning.
“The scientific community is mobilizing,” the report notes, but its long-term success will ultimately depend on the extent to which Member States embed the Decade’s vision within national science, innovation and development strategies.
The report proposes five broad reforms to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
These include moving away from the traditional “publish or perish” culture that often rewards academic output over societal impact, expanding equitable access to scientific infrastructure and knowledge, creating stronger links between scientists and decision-makers, rebuilding public trust through scientific integrity and literacy, and establishing responsible governance frameworks for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence before technological advances outpace regulation.
The conference also examined progress in implementing UNESCO’s 2021 Recommendation on Open Science.
According to new UNESCO data, 81 countries have taken steps to implement the recommendation, while 60 percent of open science policies adopted over the past five years explicitly reference the framework.
While nearly four out of five governments report having an open science policy framework, only 41 percent have concrete implementation plans, and just one-third have established systems to monitor whether those policies are achieving their intended objectives.
Alongside the conference, UNESCO and the AXA Foundation for Human Progress launched the Next Generations photo exhibition, showcasing the work of eleven young researchers from around the world as part of efforts to highlight the next generation of scientific leaders.
The Paris meeting is expected to shape the next phase of the Science Decade by identifying practical measures to strengthen international scientific cooperation and ensure that research contributes more directly to sustainable development, particularly in regions that continue to lag in scientific investment and capacity.
As delegates continue their deliberations, UNESCO’s message is clear: scientific knowledge alone will not be enough to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals unless governments create the policies, institutions and partnerships needed to turn research into action-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
