Major Events of the World Science Day for Peace and Development

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As every year, the World Science Day for Peace and Development will be celebrated worldwide on 10 November 2005. Many partners will joint UNESCO in organizing activities within scientific institutions, Science Centres, Science Museum and schools.

The major event to mark the Day this year is the World Science Forum 2005, organized by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, UNESCO and ICSU in Budapest from 10 to 12 November around the theme "Knowledge, Ethics and Responsibility". The Forum will provide a platform for debate and interaction amongst leading world scientists, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, educational and research institutions, industry, media and the general public. The Director-General will address the Forum at the opening session. See the full programme of the Forum.

In the context of the World Science Forum two satellite events will take place:

1. "Science in a Democratic World: the Role of Parliaments", a special session of the World Science Forum devoted to the discussions on the role of Parliaments in dealing with Science and Technology. Chairpersons of Parliamentary Science and Technology Committees, scientists, science journalists, and representatives of governments will attend the meeting. The meeting is organized as a follow-up of the International Round Table on "Science Technology and Innovation Policies: the Parliamentary perspective", Helsinki, January 2003 as well as of different Science Parliamentary Fora already created by UNESCO.

One of the purposes of the Special Session in Budapest is to examine the role of Parliaments in the science, technology and innovation process as well as challenges and constraints faced in the context of increasing complexity of the decision making process. It will also provide an opportunity to enhance the dialogue between parliaments from all over the world on scientific issues. National and Regional experiences will be presented and shared. The ultimate goal will be to enlarge networks of Parliaments on Science, Technology and Innovation.

2. "Science for Peace" The aim of the meeting is to underline the role of scientific cooperation for peace in the Middle East. The presentations and discussions will focus on the concrete experience of cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian scientists, in particular on the setting up of the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO). Nobel Laureates, (Torsten Wiesel, Daniel Kahneman, John Sulston (UK) as well as by Members of the International Scientific Committee (ISC) of IPSO will attend the meeting.

In focus

Official Statements