Statement on harnessing science and technology to address the challenges of today and open doors to the future (HTML)
Published 7 August 2024
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As Chief Science Advisors representing Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, we are uniquely placed to see the impacts that science and technology have had in our own countries and around the world.
We affirm our commitment to leveraging science and technology to meet the greatest challenges of our time: climate change, health, security, and economic opportunity. Science and technology are critical to advance global prosperity, to bridge divides, and to expand opportunities for every person.
We are committed to providing evidence-based advice and to improving coordination across the science and research systems within and between our countries.
Throughout history, we have seen how people have used technologies for both good and ill. How the future unfolds depends on our deeply human choices. For generations before us, experts and advocates, companies and policymakers, individuals and communities have made pivotal choices to advance and use powerful technologies for the benefit of all.
As science and technology leaders, we know it is critical that high-quality research, undertaken with integrity, produces evidence that decision-makers can rely on. We need to manage the risks of technologies so that we can seize their many benefits. In doing this work, we can build trust and empathy and promote understanding across cultural, social, and geographical boundaries.
We recognise the power of science and technology to inform, inspire, and be a cornerstone for international diplomacy.
During face-to-face meetings in Ottawa in June, we discussed the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence and engineering biology. We reflected on ways to improve emergency preparedness, how the social sciences are critical to our understanding of how people are using technology to impact our societies, and the important contributions of local and Indigenous Knowledge to biodiversity and to our broader understanding of the world around us.
At the heart of our collective endeavour is a commitment to extending the benefits of science and technology to all. By prioritising openness, diversity, and inclusion in research and innovation, we can unlock new solutions to complex challenges and empower individuals and communities to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
Dr. Cathy Foley, AO PSM, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Australia
Dr. Mona Nemer, C.M., C.Q., FRSC, FCIC, Chief Science Advisor, Canada
Prof. Dame Juliet Gerrard, Former Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor (1 July 2018 - 30 June 2024), New Zealand
Prof. Dame Angela McLean, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, United Kingdom
Dr. Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, United States of America