Knowledge and Diplomacy: Science Advice in the United Nations System (2002)

Summary: Since the 1950s, international cooperation in science has grown. The United Nations has assumed a responsibility to advance human health, welfare, and development, while better managing and conserving the environment and natural resources. Because of the inherent technical aspects of this responsibility for sustainable develop-ment, the United Nations organizations have steadily increased their interest in scientific and technological issues. This has bred a need for science advice and reli-ance on experts from outside the organization. This re-port addresses the ways in which the scientific input has been sought, compares the methods to a composite set of good and tested approaches used for scientific input by other organizations, and makes some recommenda-tions for directions in which the UN system might move.