An open letter from the International Science Council (ISC) and its member organizations, to which COSPAR contributed, calls on the next UN leadership to recognize science as a structural pillar of the multilateral system.
The letter identifies three concrete areas for action:
🔹 Strengthen the pathways through which scientific knowledge informs international decision-making, including for the millions of scientists and Indigenous knowledge systems whose expertise remains underutilized;
🔹 Place the social sciences at the heart of the UN’s work to understand and respond to rapid technological and societal change;
🔹 Champion equitable access to knowledge as a core commitment, ensuring low- and middle-income countries can contribute to and benefit from global scientific progress.
Global challenges are accelerating while international cooperation is under strain. The UN80 reform process and the post-2030 agenda offer a real opportunity to embed science within the architecture of multi-lateralism – not as a resource mobilized only in times of crisis, but as a permanent feature of global governance.
The COSPAR community is encouraged to read and share the ISC open letter and join the call for science to have a stronger role in shaping the future of multi-lateralism.