The international secretariat of IYBSSD 2022 received the following letter of support from the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union, the international organisation of parliaments, is playing a robust role in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, the IPU helps parliaments achieve the objectives put forth in the Hanoi Declaration: to strengthen national ownership of the goals; translate the goals into enforceable domestic laws and regulations; and hold governments accountable for the goals they subscribed to.
A basic understanding of science is key to the implementation of Agenda 2030, with many of the SDGs and their related targets being explicitly linked to scientific progress. Basic science, applied research, innovation and advanced technology are all essential to the progress of humankind, directly improving people’s quality of life by fostering our understanding of the world around us.
In particular, the public as well as governments and parliaments, need to understand the benefits of basic science for the sustainable development of society. Policy-makers must be aware that basic science and scientific education are long-term societal investments which should be included in their strategies and policies.
In recent years, the IPU has expanded its work on science and technology. The IPU and CERN have developed an intense collaboration aimed at bringing more awareness to the parliamentary world of the importance of science, technology, innovation and STEM education for sustainable development and intercultural dialogue. This cooperation resulted in the decision of the IPU governing bodies in 2019 to establish a Working Group on Science and Technology. In addition to this initiative, in the past three years the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions has been using science, and its political neutrality, to foster dialogue among the parliaments of the region, with the aim to develop transboundary projects for the benefit of local populations.
As Secretary General of the IPU, I would therefore like to express my strong support for the initiative to make 2022 the International Year of Basic Sciences for Development. The approval of this initiative could serve as an excellent opportunity to convince economic and political leaders of the importance of basic science in the implementation of Agenda 2030 and to mobilize resources to this end.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Chungong
Secretary General
