An Update for Council from the International Secretary and International Committee | May 2025
Recent Activities
G7 Academies Meeting (May 6-8, 2025, Ottawa)
In 2025, Canada holds the presidency for the G7. Details of these government meetings can be found here. The G7 Academies of Science are an “Engagement Group of the G7,” and in 2025, the RSC holds the presidency of the G7 Academies, which is called the S7.
This year, the RSC has coordinated input to several science statements that were formally submitted by the S7 to the government. As the host country, Canada was also responsible for organizing the S7 summit, which was held in Ottawa from May 6-8. I reported on the outcomes from this summit at the RSC Council meeting on May 12. You can view the summit schedule here and the official S7 statements are available below:
S20 – 2025 Process (Science Academies of the G20)
In 2025, South Africa holds the presidency of the G20 and the S20 usually follows a similar process to that outlined above for the S7. The S20 is currently being coordinated by the South African Academy of Sciences. The initial meeting of the S20 academies was held in Pretoria, from February 25-27, 2025, and was attended by the RSC Executive Director, Darren Gilmour. The theme for S20 South Africa is, “Climate Change and Well-being,” and explores the intricate and interconnected relationships between climate change, human, environmental, and societal well-being. The S20 summit and G20 government meetings will occur later in the year and the development of statements is ongoing. Further information is available here.
G7 Academies Meeting (December 11-12, 2024, Berlin)
As the RSC’s International Secretary, I attended a G7 Academies meeting in Berlin, co-hosted by the German Academy, the RSC and the Canadian Embassy, alongside the Executive Director. The focus of the meeting was enhancing “receptor capacity” for science advice and academy statements within G7 governments (see the programme here). This was a very positive meeting, during which ongoing procedures for how the S7 would coordinate activities was discussed. In addition to the annual in-person summit meetings, the group would now also meet in autumn to discuss ongoing activities and plans for the coming year. These meetings would be organized by the academy that holds the S7 presidency.
2024 Research Summit on Cultural Heritage in an Era of Reconciliation (November 4-6, 2024, Vancouver)
This research summit was aligned with the G7 academies 2024 statement on “Science and Communication of Cultural Heritage: Knowledge and Public Awareness of Our Collective Roots." This summit launched a three-year Tri-Academy Partnership with New Zealand and Australia, under the RSC leadership of Frank Deer, Past President of the RSC College. This is something we had been working towards over the last few years and is an exciting development for further Indigenous Engagement.
In 2025, a second summit will be held by Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi (the New Zealand Academy), and in 2026 by the Australian Academy of Science.
Our joint goal is to exchange knowledge and enhance our cultural heritage through enhanced Indigenous engagement.
InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS)
“IANAS is a regional network of Academies and Sciences created to support cooperation towards the strengthening of science and technology as a tool for advancing research and development, prosperity and equity in the Americas.”
The RSC has been an active member of IANAS from its inception and is one of the academies on the executive committee. Recent meetings between IANAS and the RSC are exploring the RSC’s future role in the next phase of IANAS’s evolution.
Acknowledgment and Thanks
As the International Secretary, I would like to thank and acknowledge the numerous experts and Members of the RSC who have been consulted, provided advice, reviewed documents or accepted invitations to participate in working groups and events.
I would also like to thank the current International Committee, RSC President, Academy Presidents, Executive Director, and office staff for their contributions.