Multi-stakeholder fora

Science, technology and innovation policy

Multi-stakeholder fora

UNESCO is committed to facilitating and promoting dialogues between science and society through multi-stakeholder fora on science, technology and innovation (STI).

Last update:6 August 2024

World Science Forum

The World Science Forum facilitates the participation of all actors in setting out the path ahead for science, policy and society. It is organized every two years by UNESCO, together with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) and other partners, to provide a unique global platform for fruitful dialogue on new emerging issues affecting science, policy and society. It is a leading global event on the social and economic relevance, influence and responsibilities of science.

World Science Forum 2024

The science and policy interface at a time of global transformations

20-23 November 2024

World Science Forum 2022

Science for Social Justice

6-9 December 2022

Regional fora

Responding to regional challenges

African Regional Science Technology and Innovation Forum

These fora provide a platform to engage in a dialogue to optimize STI policies and build solid STI systems for inclusive and sustainable development in Africa. They are an opportunity to show the importance of STI capacity building for Africa and its essential role for the creation of knowledge, economic growth, and for the sustainability of all development.

Signature of the Ministerial Statement of Rabat, • Second African Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation / Second Ministerial Forum on STI in Africa, 2014

Rabat, Morocco

Second African Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation / Second Ministerial Forum on STI in Africa

17 October 2014

Illustration of a woman working on global data and artificial intelligence

Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

3rd African Regional Science Technology and Innovation Forum

25-26 February 2021

Open Science Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean (CILAC) 2024

The CILAC Forum is a regional platform to debate on how to strengthen and implement effective science, technology and innovation (STI) policies in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. It is co-organized by UNESCO and partners every two years to shape a regional science, technology, and innovation agenda for sustainable development and amplify the region's influence in the global World Science Forum.

United Nations fora

UNESCO participates in global science processes, including multi-stakholder fora organized at the UN level.

Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum)

The STI Forum is convened once a year by the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) once a year to discuss science, technology and innovation cooperation around thematic areas for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The STI Forum also reviews the achievements of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) and the work of the UN Interagency Task Team on STI for the SDGs (IATT), in which UNESCO plays an active role.

UNESCO contributes to the organization of the STI Forum and leads side events to share its unique expertise.

High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)

The HLPF is the central United Nations platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level. The Forum meets annually under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, and counts with the participation of the whole UN System. UNESCO is actively engaged and leads side events to share its unique expertise.

Countries recommend prioritizing economic sectors and broad multistakeholder pa…

United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD)

The CSTD is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that holds an annual intergovernmental forum. UNESCO is active in the CSTD, contributing to timely discussions on pertinen issues affecting science, technology and development.