the natural science sector

Natural Sciences

The ‘S’ in UNESCO

Presentation of the Natural Sciences Sector with a focus on climate change, COP 21 and the post-2015 development agenda

Meeting of Members of

National Commissions for UNESCO 196th session of the Executive Board

UNESCO, Paris, 16 April, 2015

Flavia Schlegel

Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences

Natural Sciences Sector 16/4/2015

UNESCO

Peace and Sustainable Development

Global priorities

Africa

Gender equality


UNESCO Science for Peace and

Sustainable Development • Natural Sciences Sector (SC) • Intergovernmental Oceanographic

Commission (IOC) • Social and Human Sciences Sector

(SHS)


Natural Sciences Sector

Policy and Capacity Building

Freshwater

Ecosystems and Biodiversity


Natural Sciences Networks and Partners

• National Commissions – Field Offices

• Major Partners in the Scientific Community - ICSU, WFEO, IUCN, etc. • Category 2 Centres - Under the Auspices of UNESCO - Nearly 50 Centres in the fields of Water, Science Policy, Biotechnology, Physics, Geosciences, Remote Sensing, Renewable Energy and Engineering

• Major International Science Bodies- IHP, MAB, IGCP, IBSP, IOC

• Category 1 Institutes - Integral Part of the Organization and Programme - UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, Netherlands - Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste,

Italy

• Around 300 Chairs in the Fields of Basic and Engineering Sciences, Ecological and Earth Sciences, Water and Ocean Sciences

• Extensive Network of Scientific Partners in Each Thematic Area


Policy and Capacity Building

GOSPIN is a global observatory of science, engineering, technology and innovation policies, policy instruments and indicators which provides new and revolutionary tools for knowledge brokers, decision-makers and STI policy experts

Building Institutional and Human Capacities in Science and Engineering through networks

and partnenships

International Basic Sciences Programme Science Education

Engineering Renewable Energy

SIDS - LINKS Natural Sciences Sector 16/4/2015

Freshwater


Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) Helping Member States achieve a balance between biodiversity conservation and local sustainable development

Specific research focus on: Mountains, Drylands, Tropical forests, Urban systems, Wetlands, Marine, Island and coastal systems


http://www.unesco.org/new/typo3temp/pics/769a5c79b6.jpg

http://www.unesco.org/new/typo3temp/pics/769a5c79b6.jpg

Multisectoral Initiatives

– UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) – World Science Forum (WSF) – World Science Day for Peace and Development (WSDPD) – International Years: 2015 International Year of Light (IYoL) – Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

(IPBES) – Future Earth (FE) – Academy of Science for the Developing World (TWAS)


2015 – a pivotal year

• Climate Change - COP 21 • Post – 2015 agenda

• 70th anniversary of UNESCO


Climate Change and COP21

UNESCO is therefore actively supporting Member States in their climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts throughout the Organizations mandates:

Climate Change Education and Public Awareness (Lead: ED, CI)

Climate science and knowledge, including traditional and indigenous knowledge (Lead: SC, IOC, SHS)

UNESCO Sites (World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves) as climate change observatories (Lead: SC, CLT)

Priorities: Africa and gender equality


Climate Change and COP21

Examples of main events at UNESCO leading up to COP21: Business and Climate Change Summit, 20-21 May 2015

World Oceans Day, 8 June 2015

The International Scientific Conference – Our Future under

Climate Change, 7-10 July 2015

9th UNESCO Youth Forum, 26-28 October 2015 with strong focus on climate change and sustainable development

Complete list of events available at: https://en.unesco.org/themes/cop21


https://en.unesco.org/themes/cop21

The Post-2015 Development Agenda

The process:

• Formal negotiations in New York (January through July 2015) • The main elements of the Agenda:

– Declaration – SDGs, targets and indicators (the latter to be proposed by the

Statistical Commission only in March 2016)

– Means of Implementation (and relevance of the Financing for development Conference in Addis Ababa next July)

– “Accountability Frameworks” (monitoring & evaluation)


The Post-2015 Development Agenda

UNESCO’s Objectives

1. Science in the Preamble of the Outcome Document 1. Keep the science-related SDGs 1. Formal mandate for monitoring and assessments


Challenges for the Future

Defining the role of UNESCO science in the post-2015

development agenda Increasing focus in programmes Developing a foresight function Human and financial resources Making the most of the Field network and increasing

collaboration with the National Commissions to have greater impact in Member States


Science in the National Commissions

• Examples of activites in all regions

• Proposals for increased cooperation

• Your questions and remarks


Thank You Merci

Muchas gracias Спасибо شكرا 謝謝


the natural science sector

Documents