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Scientists and policymakers tackling complex issues at the nexus of science and diplomacy
Scientists, policy advisers, and experts met at the Headquarters of the The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS) in Italy, to learn the ins and outs of science diplomacy on 18-20 June 2024.
The three-day workshop focused on the ways science and diplomacy interact, hosting 19 scientists and policymakers from 11 countries.
During the course, early-career scientists were paired with a participant with policy-making experience, such as local or national government officials, diplomats, or representatives of research-funding institutions, to forge stronger links between researchers and decision-makers. This early engagement between scientists and policymakers aims to facilitate more rapid adoption of evidence-based solutions to national, regional, and global challenges.
In her presentation, the Coordinator of the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme, Ms Michela Miletto, focused on a specific branch of science diplomacy: water diplomacy.
Water-science diplomacy is an extraordinary tool to help securing peace and social stability whenever there are disputes and controversies among water users, be they local communities or nations, due to inequalities in the allocation of water resources, or in the access to services and distribution of benefits which can undermine peace. It facilitates the "shared understanding" of the status of water (both quantity and quality), its use and management, while it fosters the equitable access to the resource by informing its governance.
Ms Miletto explained the critical role of water diplomacy in addressing transboundary water challenges, citing the findings and recommendations of the UN World Water Development Reports on Partnerships and cooperation for water (2023) and on Water for Prosperity and Peace (2024).
About TWAS
is a UNESCO programme that works to support sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy and diplomacy. It is hosted by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy.
The and , an international initiative to promote the role of women in science, innovation, technology and engineering, and a programme unit of UNESCO, are both hosted by TWAS.
About WWAP
UNESCO's World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) aims “to meet the growing requirements of UN Member States and the international community for a wider range of policy-relevant, timely and reliable information in various fields of water resources developments and management, in particular through the production of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR)”.
Consequently, WWAP, through the World Water Development Reports and complementary activities, aims to equip water managers and policy- and decision-makers with knowledge, tools and skills necessary to formulate and implement sustainable water policies. It is based in Perugia, Italy.
