2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Future Directions for International Science Advice

High-quality scientific advice is increasingly recognized as a vital input to international policy debates on topics ranging from climate change to food security, pandemic preparedness to biodiversity. In recent years, building on lessons from bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), new advisory bodies have been established at the global level to improve the flow of scientific evidence and expertise into policy processes. Examples include the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the United Nations Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board, and the European Science Advisers Forum. This symposium brings together leading scientists, policymakers, and practitioners to debate how scientific advice at the international level can be strengthened further, sharing experiences and best practices across different institutions, policy arenas, and levels of decision-making. Speakers will discuss plans for the new International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA), which grew from a 2014 summit in Auckland, New Zealand, attended by science advisers from over 40 countries. The session brings a strong, practical focus on how structures and processes of international scientific advice can be enhanced to better meet the social and environmental challenges of the next decade.