Young Scientists invited to present a statement at the inauguration ceremony of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Secretary-General of the United Nations

Two members of the Global Young Academy (GYA) – Co-Chair Prof Rees Kassen (Canada) and Dr Sherien Elagroudy (Egypt), former IAP Young Scientists – presented a statement at the inauguration ceremony of the newly created Scientific Advisory Board of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The ceremony took place on 30 January 2014 in Berlin. The GYA members are among six young scientists to address the UN Secretary-General and the invited public at the event.

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) is a new body created by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It is composed of 26 internationally leading scientists. The SAB is tasked with providing advice to the UN Secretary-General and the Executive Heads of UN organizations on strengthening the interface between science, policy and society, particularly in areas relevant to sustainable development. The creation of the Board was recommended in January 2012 by the Report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability.

The inaugural meeting of the SAB took place in Berlin, 30 -31 January 2014 at the invitation of the German Federal Government. The session is organized by UNESCO, in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Commission for UNESCO.