On November 26-27, 2018, the Tenth International Forum of NGOs took place in Moscow. GYA member Sergey Kostyrko was nomitated by the GYA to take part in the forum, and reported on the event. The forum was organized by NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee in partnership with UNESCO, the Russian Peace Foundation and the Russian Academy of Sciences. The topic of the conference was “Science as a common good of humankind” and special consideration was given to the ethical problems of science and the relationship of science and civil society.
Within the framework of the forum, about 20 plenary sessions and panel discussions were held which were attended by more than 300 delegates from 50 countries. The seminars were devoted to science diplomacy, inclusion and role of women in science, challenges and opportunities for youth, science and sustainable development, science and art, human environment and many others.
After extensive deliberations, numerous proposals and conceptual developments were submitted. It was proposed to further develop science diplomacy and evidence-based policy as key components of policy formation process, use the scientific cooperation and international scientific projects to improve international relations, enhance the channels of communication between science community and civil society, increase the role of social sciences, promote the training of young researchers and their inclusion in international teams.
There were recommendations on the current regulatory environment for the conduct and reporting of biotechnology research. An initiative was made to integrate a scientific worker’s passport into international practice, which would provide its owner with a number of advantages in visiting foreign countries for scientific purposes. In general, the forum has become a reliable platform for the development of scientific links and decisions to achieve the sustainable development goals in the World context.
