Professor Dr. Katja Becker stressed the pivotal importance of science and research in relation to addressing global humanity questions and realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals in her speech. She suggested forming a partnership between the GRC as a global council of research funding organisations and the United Nations STI for SDG process.
Professor Dr. Katja Becker said:
"If we want to reach the Sustainable Development Goals in a meaningful time, science has to play a more active role than before. One could even think of a more ambitious idea: defining and establishing an additional Sustainable Development Goal for science. A new SDG that puts global research cooperation at centre stage – not only but also because searching for the truth is a fundamental part of human nature. However, as long as such an additional SDG is not within our grasp, everything else needs to be done that contributes to integrating research and research findings into the SDG agenda. Because I’m convinced that science is essential if we want to address global humanity questions."
The DFG jointly with the GRC took the opportunity the day before to organise a side event to the STI for SDG Forum in the German House in New York. Becker together with the leaders of the DFG partner organisations from Brazil, Japan, Canada, South Africa and the USA, Germany's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Thomas Zahneisen, and Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, representing the "Ten Member Group", discussed how specific research could be generated in relation to the respective sustainability goals.
In future, the global sustainability issues discussed in New York are to be more vigorously addressed in the work of the DFG as the largest research funding organisation and central self-governing organisation for science in Germany. The DFG accordingly set up an in-house Sustainability Commission in 2021. This commission has 20 members from all scientific disciplines and under the leadership of the DFG President intends to present its recommendations for sustainable action to the DFG statutory bodies in June of this year.
