Meeting of LERU and the Geneva Science-Policy Interface

Rector Flükiger,
Excellences,
Ladies and gentlemen:

Welcome to all of you to UN Geneva and to the Library, our knowledge centre. I am glad to see the League of European Research Universities back at UN Geneva, together with our long-standing partner, the University of Geneva and the Geneva Science Policy Interface. I look forward to a lively discussion on how to involve research universities in our work as a global platform for multilateral dialogue, action and systems change. This dialogue is important to us.

As mentioned by Francesco, in 2016 we hosted a Roundtable on “Strengthening the UN’s Research Uptake”. Since then,
we have created the SDG Lab, whose contribution is to foster closer collaboration between various stakeholders, including academia, and to share best practices. We have also done some important internal reflections supported by the UN Joint Inspection Unit. The JIU assessed both the Knowledge Management capacity of the UN (in 2016) and the Policy Research Uptake by the UN system, which is about to be released. Mr Dimitru, the Inspector who is in charge of this matter, is here with us today.

Today, I hope we will address how evidence-based research matters to the UN, and how we can strengthen and operationalize collaboration between scientific and research communities and the United Nations System. Unless we invest in this, it will be difficult for researchers to have an impact on policy processes.

The challenges we collectively face have increased in number and complexity. Most of our work will depend on scientific and technological advances. As we speak, the Climate Conference COP24 is in session in Poland, addressing some of the critical challenges related to climate change that we cannot address without science and technology.

This was also underlined during the discussions on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons we hosted here at the Palais des Nation in the past weeks, when Governments voiced their concern about the ability of critical normative frameworks to keep pace with advances in science and technology.

The difficulties we face seem to outpace our ability to agree, to, much less implement, common solutions. This is certainly not surprising to an audience of researchers and scientists like you.

The need to together build an interface between science, research and the United Nations System is more urgent than ever. I believe that for this interface to work, we need to have a genuine dialogue, rather than an isolated exchange of messages in languages that are rather different.

I suggest that we build on the dialogue we started here in 2015 and look at positive examples of research impact and uptake. Let’s focus on the what and how to implement our decisions and not the why or maybe.

Let’s focus on our common roadmap: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. I believe that Agenda 2030 is the perfect case in point for us here today. Policy is one important part of it of course, but research is vital for its realization. If we are to succeed, we need evidence of the nexus between the SDGs, the progress towards their implementation, and the demonstrated benefits of an integrated approach.

We must also be able to overcome silo-mentality and organisational biases among and within the International Organizations, but also among and within Universities. This can only be achieved by truly working in partnership, drawing on the expertise and experiences of all stakeholders.

I thank the University of Geneva, the League of European Research Universities and the Geneva Science Policy Interface for co-organizing this event together with us– they can indeed help strengthen the link between IOs and Universities while also bringing Universities closer together.

I, and some of my senior colleagues with me today, look forward to a stimulating discussion.

Thank you