Previous Fora / 2013

Science for Global Sustainable Development

It is our honor and pleasure to announce that the sixth World Science Forum will be held in Rio de Janeiro from 24 to 27 November 2013. The Forum will be hosted by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, UNESCO, ICSU, EASAC and AAAS.

Following the recommendations of the Steering Committee of the Forum, we are pleased to announce that the main theme of the 2013 World Science Forum will be “Science for Global Sustainable Development”. In line with the recommendations approved during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), we want to renew our commitment to global sustainable development, and to contribute towards the promotion of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for our planet, for present and future generations.

As a result of the success of the 1999 World Conference on Science, the  Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in partnership with UNESCO and ICSU,  initiated a series of events called World Science Forum taking place  biannually in Budapest. Since 2001, the World Science Forum has taken  place regularly, having addressed important issues, such as "Knowledge  and Society" (2003), "Knowledge, Ethics and Responsibility" (2005),  "Investing in Knowledge: Investing in the Future" (2007), "Knowledge and Future" (2009) and “The Changing Landscape of Science” (2011).

To emphasise the global nature of the Forum and to engage relevant  institutions of the world scenario that are willing to play a very active role in it’s organization, it has been agreed that starting from  2013 the venue of the World Science Forum will alternate between Hungary and a partner country. The Brazilian Academy of Sciences, with the  strong support of the Brazilian Government, has proudly accepted the  challenge of hosting the first edition of the Forum out of Budapest, to  take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Building up the future we want will demand a strong input from all stakeholders of science. The discussions proposed to take place during the next World Science Forum will focus on issues considered of upmost importance to reach our purpose, such as Inequalities as Barriers for Global Sustainability, Science Policy and Governance, Scientific Integrity, Science for Natural Resources, Science and Engineering Education and The Fundamental Roles of Science in Innovation, among other equally important issues that will be addressed during the proposed parallel thematic sessions.

Looking forward in contributing towards global sustainability, the Forum will be a call for action, mobilizing the international scientific community to play its share. In the coming months, national governments and the UN system will be discussing the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Scientists need to be engaged on this process at a national, regional and global level, as this is the agenda that will show the path to the future we want to build. It is our hope that the discussions that will take place in Rio will help trigger this process.

 

József Pálinkás

President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
President of World Science Forum

 

                                   

Jacob Palis

President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences
Chairman of World Science Forum 2013