Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly
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Special event on the occasion of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development
24 May 2023
(As delivered)
Excellencies,
Distinguished professors, scientists,
Thank you much indeed for accepting the invitation.
My name is Csaba Kőrösi, I am the President of the General Assembly.
And it is a great honour to have you for this discussion.
I will say a few words in a minute about how we approach the issue of science in the political decision-shaping processes of the General Assembly.
But, in advance, let me express my gratefulness and many, many thanks to you all who took the trouble to come over the ocean, or to change the continent to join us, to share with us your notions, your ideas, your experience, and your guidance.
Welcome to this important special event on the occasion of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.
It is one of the many being held across the world to raise the profile of the basic sciences – and to expose their foundational role in our daily life.
Many of you in this room were instrumental in establishing this International Year to give the basic sciences the rightful space in our quest for sustainable development.
Some of you were even directly participating in the negotiations when we were crafting the SDGs, and my special thanks to Professor Heuer and to Dr. Maurizio Bona for their role years back which showed the membership how multilateral scientific efforts could help humanity achieve great breakthroughs.
We are fortunate to have with us today experts from research institutions in Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, and many participants have distinguished track records of building bridges across disciplines to realize the agenda of change.
The agenda built on science.
Science is often called organized common sense.
That is what we mean, actually.
That is true, but I like Carl Sagan’s definition even more, who said “science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.”
What we need to change in the General Assembly, in the United Nations and in the world, is the way of thinking, how we manage our [inaudible].
Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and related sciences are the very foundation of understanding our planet, our universe and the whole bio-geo-chemical fabric of our existence.
Indeed, they help us make sense of our world.
Without them, we would be blind to the forces around us and the solutions available for us – to chart sustainable, inclusive and fair pathways towards the future.
But then, to quote Will Harvey, what is research but a blind date with knowledge?
Yet the basic sciences don’t often break into the global scene.
They lead a hidden existence in universities, labs, described in language not used by the rest of us.
This is the paradigm we seek to change.
Let us bring the basic sciences out of the shadows.
Let us recognize them for what they are: keys to achieving and measuring sustainability.
At this crucial mid-point of our 2030 Agenda, let use them to unlock progress.
The basic sciences offer an essential means to revolutionize how we address food, energy and health care.
It is through them that we can transform how we produce and consume.
They are the bedrock of the technology advances that can bring our SDGs back on track.
To get there, we must translate the results of basic sciences into practical tools.
Tools that help us improve the management of resources, measure SDG implementation, and move beyond GDP to assess development.
We must also ensure that the role and potential of the basic sciences is better understood by policy makers around the world.
I encourage scientists and diplomats here today to turn their attention to this crucial need.
The Group of Friends of Science for Action – launched at the General Assembly’s science briefing in April, and co-led by Belgium, India and South Africa, many thanks to these three countries – is an excellent platform to help Member States discuss these issues.
For today, I look forward to a lively debate on how we can directly benefit from the basic sciences.
How can they and their collaborative models be applied to our deliberations and policymaking in the UN?
How can we employ them to validate our actions – and our inactions?
To initiate this conversation on the future of sciences for sustainability, it is my pleasure to welcome our expert panelists today: Professor Hallberg, Professor Heuer and Dr. Ramphele.
As the moderator of our discussion, let me also welcome Dr. Bona, my good friend, as well as Dr. Spiro, who will deliver closing remarks.
With that, I wish you a very useful exchange of views, suggestions and proposals.
We are very much counting on you.
Please, help us.
The floor is over to you, Maurizio.
Please take the lead.
Thank you.
