Science Diplomacy with the European Commission
On 13 February 2025, the European Commission published A Framework for European Science Diplomacy: Recommendations of the EU Science Diplomacy Working Groups.
This report presents the results of five EU Science Diplomacy Working Groups, which were launched in October 2023 by the European Commission to develop recommendations that will inform future policy action.
The Working Groups (WG) consisted of 130 science and diplomacy experts from across Europe.  Each WG was co-chaired by a scientist and a diplomat. As a repatriated German citizen, Prof. Paul Arthur Berkman was included from the United States in WG4: Building Capacity for European Science Diplomacy. Â
EU Science Diplomacy Alliance
In parallel, the European Union Science Diplomacy Alliance has been expanding the transdisciplinary dialogue of science with society. Among the recent products of the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance is the November 2024 Policy Brief on Capacity Building in Science Diplomacy with Prof. Berkman among the authors.
With further context, the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance originated in 2021, stimulated by collaborators with three European Commission projects during the Horizon 2020 funding programme:
2018-2021 – Using science for/in diplomacy for addressing global challenges (S4D4C)
2017-2022 – Inventing a Shared Science Diplomacy for Europe (InsSciDE)
2016-2019 – European Leadership in Cultural, Science and Innovation Diplomacy (EL-CSID)
Ongoing, the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance involves synergies among more than 40 member institutions currently, including the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) with the Science Diplomacy Centerâ„¢ among the founders.
Science Diplomacy with the United Nations
A next step with science diplomacy in Europe will be in March 2025 with the Global Science Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy, hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.  Helping to accelerate capacities with science diplomacy by building common interests – the Main Themes of this upcoming ministerial dialogue are:
â‘ Science Diplomacy to Advance Secure and Open Science (Balancing open science and open innovation with research security, intellectual property issues, and technology risks);
â‘ Science Diplomacy in a World of Disruptive Technologies (Setting common standards for disruptive technologies, e.g. artificial intelligence, biological, neurological, quantum technologies);
â‘ Science Diplomacy for Times of Crises (Ensuring access to scientific information and protecting scientific resources in times of crisis);
â‘ Science Diplomacy for Shared Natural and Scientific Resources (Fostering peaceful management of transboundary natural resources including water, biodiversity, ocean).
Moreover, with practical import short-to-long term, Objectives with the 2025 Global Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy are:
Foster high-level commitment to science diplomacy as an instrument for promoting dialogue and peace;
Explore innovative science diplomacy initiatives through exchanges between ministers, scientists, diplomats, and experts to contribute to peace building and human rights protection;
Agree on a common framework to advance shared goals through science diplomacy; and
Highlight ongoing initiatives and opportunities in science diplomacy.
In our ‘new age of nationalism’, there are great risks of repeating the mistakes of the 20th century that fomented two world wars. Fortunately – with science diplomacy accelerating in Europe and among many nations across the spectrum of subnational-national-international jurisdictions – there is hope our globally-interconnected civilization has the inclusive capacities with brave science diplomats as honest brokers to balance national interests and common interests for the benefit of all on Earth across generations.
