8 February 2023

 

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to speak with you all today.

Bridging the gap between science and decision-making has been a cornerstone of my Presidency since day one.

And I believe that only by doing so it would be possible to change the way we operate and to efficiently tackle the manifold challenges at hand.

There are currently thirteen negotiation processes related to transformation underway.

Thirteen pathways for us to reach the ambitions of the SDGs.

And every single process would benefit from science-based evidence to support Member States’ decision-making.

Just yesterday, we held briefings for them by representatives of the scientific community on how science-based evidence can be the key to identifying and implementing sustainable solutions.

The briefings were divided into three panels: the New Economics of Water; Climate, Conflict and Cooperation; and Early Warnings for Pandemic Preparedness.

All of them with the promise of making breakthroughs and identifying gamechangers for us.

The briefings also included an update on the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 which can provide a solid basis for a strong political declaration at the SDG Summit later in September.

We must adopt to the changing nature of the world around us as well as the changing nature of crises we face.

I am deeply committed to breaking down the fences that divide the work of disparate fields.

Better inclusion in science is paramount, and it is part of a broader discussion.

Data shows that the best and most accurate research accounts for a range of human experiences.

Yet, we live in societies that have grown divided along arbitrary lines such as gender, class, caste, religion or ethnicity.

And, sadly, this unequal and unfair inheritance also seeped into academia and science.

Groups that have been historically marginalised are all too often still de facto excluded from research.

But we are in trouble now.

And we cannot afford any longer to go without anyone who can bring value to science.

In fact, we must mobilise everyone, all our energies to deal with the challenges.

Fostering a culture of open research and access is critical for the democratisation of knowledge.

As things currently stand, grossly inaccurate misinformation, disinformation and malinformation are freely available online.

But credible, authoritative and peer-reviewed scientific advances are guarded by paywalls.

From racist conspiracy theories to lies about vaccines – I need not remind this room of the dire consequences that spreading false information can have.

The pandemic cast a stark light on the importance of having accurate, science-driven information easily and freely accessible, particularly online.

And it put us before the urgency of strengthening the science-policy-society interface.

The good news I brought to you this morning is this interface is being further developed as we speak.

We all know how far off-track we are on the achievement of the SDGs.

So, what are we going to do?

What should we change to do right?

There is no other way for us to reach the SDGs than to transform how we relate to each other and how we deliver global public goods.

Because the crises we face are interconnected, so too must be our solutions.

The science of complexities is the science of the SDGs.

Sharing our knowledge on open access online platforms will only be detrimental to those who do not want a just and fair world.

But something else is missing. We are still lacking the science-based, simple, flexible, adaptable to various conditions of countries methodology of measuring sustainability transformation.

How could we expect breakthroughs in the implementation of the real transformation to a sustainable world while we are not prepared to measure it.’

That is my strong request and appeal to you.

Please help us develop this strong tool we call “Going Beyond GDP”.

The adage goes that science does not bring about answers, only more questions. That’s fine.

Let us strive to always listen to these questions, and to always listen to those asking them.

Let us improve how we work, and how we work together.

Never forgetting the words of the French physiologist Claude Bernard: “Art is I; science is we”.

Thank you.