- Pandemic preparedness and the role of science
- Crises: economy, society, law, and culture. Towards a less vulnerable humankind
Academies from the G20 countries have signed two joint statements on pressing global issues to be addressed. The statements entitled Pandemic preparedness and the role of science and Crises: economy, society, law, and culture. Towards a less vulnerable humankind will be delivered to the G20 Heads of State and Government.
The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei represents Italy in joint international initiatives of national science academies of the G7 countries. Each year, the G7 national science academies meet to produce joint statements on global challenges to be presented to the leaders of the G7 countries before the Summit.
Along the same lines as the above-mentioned initiative, since 2017 Science20 (S20) brings together the national academies of science of the G20 countries. In 2021—under the Italian G20 Presidency—the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei will host the S20 meeting and, for the first time, will also hold a social sciences and humanities (SSH20) meeting.
The two joint statements—S20 statement on Pandemic preparedness and the role of science and SSH20 statement on Crises: economy, society, law, and culture. Towards a less vulnerable humankind—have been developed by two Lincei working groups (respectively chaired by Prof. Giorgio Parisi and Prof. Roberto Antonelli) and all the partner academies.
The two statements summarized:
Pandemic preparedness and the role of science
The statement on Pandemic preparedness and the role of science addresses the following issues: lessons from COVID-19 and previous pandemics; lessons on pandemic prevention and early detection; lessons on interventions; proposal of actions (general actions; specific actions to improve prevention and early detection; specific actions to improve the control of new pandemic diseases); the need for an International Agreement on Pandemic Preparedness and Management.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Based on consideration by the Scientific Academies of the G20 countries of how the experience of the response to COVID-19 might inform pandemic preparedness in the future, the governments of G20 are urged to undertake the following actions:
- Promote the creation of a global network of surveillance
- Promote the distributed manufacture and delivery of diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, medical supplies and equipment
- Launch an Intergovernmental Convention
Crises: economy, society, law, and culture. Towards a less vulnerable humankind
The statement on Crises: economy, society, law, and culture. Towards a less vulnerable humankind addresses the following issues: global challenges and opportunities; fragilities and resilience: towards a less vulnerable humankind; action map: global coordination for systemic crises; education and research; cultural heritage; social policy and legal harmonisation; economic actions.
INTRODUCTION
The current COVID-19 pandemic, and systemic crises such as climate change, reveal deep-seated structural fragilities and criticalities in the material and cultural spheres of world societies. However, crises entail opportunities if they induce awareness of the challenges confronting humankind as a whole and stimulate the transformations needed to achieve less vulnerable societies. This statement focuses on present-day fragilities and challenges and aims to highlight and strengthen the role of coordination between local, national, and international actors to increase resilience at a global scale.
- Global challenges and opportunities
- Fragilities and resilience: towards a less vulnerable humankind
- An action map: global coordination for systemic crises
The S20+SSH20 Academic Summit will be hosted by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome on 22-23 September 2021. During the event the Joint Statements will be officially presented to the Italian Government.
