UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the scientific community to invest a significant proportion of its talent and resources over the coming year in research that would accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the future Sustainable Development Goals.
Ban reaffirmed the importance of science and technology in promoting progress and peace at a Celebration of Sixty Years of Science for Peace and Development held Monday at the UN headquarters by the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Science has at times been used for harmful purposes, discoveries about the atom were used to create nuclear weapons, therefore, the arms race absorbed scientific talent and financial resources that could have been used to address the pressing problems facing humanity, ban said.
Fortunately, science is far more often a powerful force for progress and human well-being, especially in developing countries, the UN chief added.
"Whether we are trying to address climate change, stop the Ebola virus, deal with cybersecurity threats, or curb nuclear proliferation, we need scientists with a clear vision and a commitment to work together to find solutions," he stressed.
Ban said that the world faces multiple crises, but this is also an era of opportunity, where great achievements are possible thanks to science, technology and innovation.
Ban then applaud CERN for its collaboration with UNESCO and other UN agencies, and invited the organization to strengthen its engagement with the UN system.
"CERN is delighted to celebrate its 60th anniversary at and with the United Nations," CERN Director General Rolf Heuer expressed.
Heuer wished with this event, to promote a more effective dialogue between science and international affairs, and to openly exchange views on how science can be more integrated into global and national decision-making processes for the benefit of all.
Under the chairmanship of the President of United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the event included a series of keynotes from eminent scientists and world leaders, including Nobel Physics Prize Laureate Professor Carlo Rubbia and Kofi Annan, Chairman and Founder of the Kofi Annan Foundation and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Annan, the ex-Secretary General, underlined the role that science has played in peaceful collaboration, innovation and development.
Furthermore, Annan stressed the need to strengthen dialogue and collaboration between the world of science and the world of politics and diplomacy, and affirmed that it is crucial to harness the wealth of scientific information available, in order to make sure that it reaches policymakers, and is integrated in decision-making processes.
CERN is a provisional body founded in 1952 with the mandate of establishing a world-class fundamental physics research organization in Europe.
Source: KUNA