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Hosted by the UNESCO Office in Venice on 21 July 2026, the virtual Regional Dialogue welcomed regional experts to discuss how science and innovation can help build more resilient and sustainable societies. Opened by Magdalena Landry, Director of the UNESCO Office in Venice, this event followed on from the first IDSSD Global Conference, held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris just days earlier.
The Dialogue focused on strengthening scientific cooperation to address the region’s climate risks, including ecosystem degradation and water insecurity, alongside technological transformation and sustainable development finance. This is part of the IDSSD’s wider efforts to promote actionable scientific knowledge, inclusive innovation systems, and stronger collaboration among governments, research institutions, civil society, international organisations, and the private sector.
Samuel Partey, Head of the UNESCO Venice Science unit, highlighted the results during 2024-2026, the first two years of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) 2024-2033. 
The International Science Decade has already made significant progress, becoming the fastest operationalisation of any UN Decade of comparable scope. To date, it has received 396 initiatives from 79 countries across all UNESCO regions, mobilised USD 50 million in confirmed funding (with USD 200 million projected), and supported activities addressing all 17 SDGs.
Yet, challenges remain. While global participation has expanded, regional disparities persist, and stronger coordination is needed to translate scientific innovation into effective governance. These challenges have prompted UNESCO to call for reforms in research assessment, scientific infrastructure accessibility, and the institutionalisation of science. Priorities embrace science-policy interface reform, safeguarding scientific freedom, and ensuring ethical governance of emerging technologies.
The Dialogue brought together Michael Scoullos (MIO-ECSDE), Holly O’Donnell (Aberdeen Group), Maciej Zalewski (European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology and Vice-Chair of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme Council) and Mitja Jermol (UNESCO Chair on Open Technologies for Open Educational Resources and Open Education at the Jožef Stefan Institute). 
The panel explored how science can accelerate sustainable development during the International Science Decade. Participants offered complementary perspectives on strengthening the impact of science through governance, partnerships, innovation and responsible technology.
A central message emerged: achieving the SDGs is increasingly a question of delivery, not discovery. Scientific solutions already exist; the challenge is translating them into policy and action through stronger governance, open science and reflexive exchange between scientists, policy makers, and society. Participants also stressed that maintaining public trust in science requires greater transparency, open knowledge, and meaningful public engagement.
A number of priorities emerged as essential to turning scientific knowledge and innovation into practical, lasting impact: scaling solutions, strengthening interdisciplinary approaches, and ensuring responsible use of artificial intelligence. 
The panel concluded by reaffirming that science is not only a source of knowledge but also a catalyst for collaboration, innovation, and collective action. As the International Science Decade moves forward, the Regional Dialogue underscored UNESCO’s unique role in convening stakeholders and strengthening science–policy interfaces and fostering international partnerships that translate scientific knowledge into tangible advancement.
International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033)
About the Decade
This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
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