ISLAMABAD, NOV 09 (DNA) — Since 2001, the World Science Day for Peace and Development, is celebrated to highlight the important role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging and important contemporary issues relevant to science.

This year theme of the day is Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development. It is being celebrated within the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, which has been kicked off on 8 July 2022 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France.

The applications of basic sciences are vital for advances in medicine, industry, agriculture, water resources, energy planning, environment, communications, and culture’, affirmed the United Nations General Assembly on 2 December 2021, when it endorsed the proposal for an International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development. World Science Day is contributing to the Year in 2022 by celebrating this theme.

‘We need more basic science to achieve The 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals’, the United Nations General Assembly noted in December 2021. It is true that the share of domestic research expenditure devoted to basic sciences varies widely from one country to another. According to data from the UNESCO Science Report 2021 for 86 countries, some devote less than 10% of their research expenditure to basic sciences and others more than 30%.

Having a capacity in basic sciences is in the interests of both developed and developing countries, given the potential for applications to foster sustainable development and raise standards of living.

This year, UNESCO Islamabad in collaboration with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), the Economic Cooperation Organization Science Foundation (ECOSF), and the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), organizing an event linked to this year’s World Science Day for Peace and Development, at the COMSTECH Secretariat, Islamabad on 16 November 2022.

 During the event, experts will cover the areas of basic sciences like role of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in our daily lives and sustainable development. Participants will include representatives of several embassies and high commissions, government officials, scientists, students, teachers, researchers, science communicators and science journalists. =DNA