Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator

Accelerating the Active Decarbonization of our Planet
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Abstract

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at its highest level in four million years. If we want to meet our goal of capping global warming at 2°C, urgent action is required to both slash emissions and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Emerging negative emissions technologies such as direct air capture and materials able to absorb massive amounts of carbon will play a crucial role, but large-scale demonstrations are still a decade away. That means we probably need to combine accelerated R&D efforts with aggressive carbon pricing, major reforestation, and new agricultural and industrial approaches that help create a circular economy.
 

  • How can we get promising decarbonization technologies out of the lab that are viable in the marketplace?
  • How can we reach an agreement on a global minimum carbon price and how should we set carbon prices?
  • How can we ensure that the burden of decarbonization is shared equitably?

Participants

Moderated by:
Janos Pasztor, Executive Director, Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative C2G, Hungary/Switzerland

With:
Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chairman, Supervisory Board, Siemens AG; Chairman of the Board of Directors, A.P. Møller–Mærsk A/S; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Denmark (remotely)
Gerald Haug, President, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina; Professor for Climate Geology at ETHZ; Director, Climate Geochemistry Department and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute; Member, GESDA Academic Forum, Germany
Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General, International Organization for Standardization; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Chile
Wendy Lee Queen, Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Materials, at EPFL, United States

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Catalyzing Inclusive Growth through Anticipatory Science

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Abstract

The number of people living in countries the United Nations classifies as least developed will hit 1.9 billion, or nearly a fifth of the world’s population, by 2050. As rapid demographic changes in the world’s poorest regions accelerate, there are growing calls to look beyond traditional measures of development and to focus on inclusive growth. Anticipatory science can play a crucial role in this transition. Technologies like wireless internet, mobile payments and drones are already allowing emerging economies to leapfrog stages of development by putting affordable and powerful new tools in the hands of their citizens. Anticipating where the next such technological and scientific opportunities will come from could help map a path towards economic emergence that is both equitable and inclusive.
 

  • Where will the next great leapfrogging opportunity come from?
  • How can we ensure equitable access to resource intensive emerging technologies and innovation infrastructures?
  • What is the role of the private sector and local entrepreneurship in catalyzing inclusive growth?

Participants

Moderated by:
Nanjira Sambuli, Policy Analyst, Advocacy Strategist, Fellow; Board member, Digital Impact Alliance, Development Gateway and The New Humanitarian; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Kenya

With:
Uzodinma Iweala, CEO, The Africa Center NY, Nigeria
Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Head of the United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Japan
Rebecca Enonchong, Founder and CEO, AppsTech, Cameroon
Momar Dieng, Chief Strategy and Partnership Officer, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Senegal
Geoff Mulgan, Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation, University College London, UK

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Engineering Pathways for Radical Health Extension
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Abstract

By 2050 one in six people worldwide will be over the age of 65. This grey tsunami threatens to put a huge strain on health and economic systems as the burden of age-related illness booms and the proportion of working-age adults shrinks. But breakthroughs in our ability to slow the physical and cognitive decline associated with advanced years are on the horizon. Drugs that target biological pathways that underpin ageing and interventions that turn back cells’ “epigenetic clock” could soon extend our healthy years long into old age. This could completely reshape the dynamics of ageing populations and will require fundamental shifts in public health policy, economic planning, and labour relations.
 

  • Where will breakthroughs in radical health extension come from?
  • How will societies change as the number of healthy older people grows?
  • How can we ensure boosting health span becomes a global priority

Participants

Moderated by:
Jane Metcalfe, Founder, NEO.LIFE; Co-Founder, WIRED magazine, USA 

With:
Samia Hurst, Professor of Ethics, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Brian Kennedy, Distinguished Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, USA
Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organization; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, UK
Atsushi Seike, Executive Advisor for Academic Affairs; Professor Emeritus, Keio University, Japan (remotely)

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Enriching Science with Citizen Voices and Values

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Abstract

Emerging fields of science like advanced artificial intelligence (AI), human genome engineering and longevity research will all have profound impacts on people’s everyday lives. That makes it an imperative to involve citizens in the scientific process and incorporate their experiences and perspectives into the way research is done. Ensuring all citizens are informed of the latest advances and how these relate to their lives is a crucial first step. The development of a global sounding board designed to gather citizens’ voices and values will enrich science by unearthing the breakthroughs people most need and helping co-develop regulatory frameworks that are fit for purpose. Cooperative research can also help scientists break out of dogmatic ways of thinking and rediscover valuable traditional knowledge.

• What are the best ways to involve citizens in the scientific process?
• What can and should citizens contribute to the most advanced scientific disciplines?
• How can policymakers design frameworks that help scientists and citizens to interact?

Participants

Moderated by:
Alain Kaufmann, Director, ColLaboratoire, University of Lausanne, Projet SantéPerSo, Switzerland

With:
Claudia Chwalisz, Policy Analyst, Leading work on innovative citizen participation, OECD Open Government Unit; Author; Member, Democracy R&D Network, France
Nicola Forster, Co-Founder, Foraus think tank, Switzerland (remotely)
Samira Kiani, CEO and Founder, GenexGen; Director, Tomorrow.Life Initiative; Associate Professor, Liver Research Center, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Member, GESDA Academic Forum, USA
Simon Niemeyer, Associate Dean, Research, Faculty of Business, Government and Law, University of Canberra; Project Leader, Global Citizens’ Assembly on Genome Editing, Australia (remotely)
Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Town; Board Member, GESDA, South Africa (remotely)

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Establishing Neuro Rights
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Abstract

Brain implants already enable people with paraplegia to control robotic limbs, restore basic vision and modulate neural activity to treat diseases like Parkinson’s. Over the next decade our growing ability to both read and write brain data will transform the treatment of neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions, but it will also increasingly be used to enhance cognitive function in healthy people. This could greatly expand our ability to learn and improve ourselves. But the creation of two-way conduits into people’s minds and huge pools of sensitive brain data also raise profound questions about privacy, personal agency, and the integrity of the individual. This might necessitate the establishment of a new bill of neuro rights to ensure that new technology is used properly, and its benefits are available to all.
 

  • What are the implications for society of the development of technology in brain science?
  • How can we ensure wide access to neurotechnology and prevent the formation of “cognitive elites”?
  • Do we need new neuro rights or a reinterpretation of existing human rights?

Participants

Moderated by:
Nadia Isler, Director and Founder, SDG Lab, Office of the Director General of the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland

With:
Olaf Blanke, Professor of Neurosciences; Bertarelli Chair, Cognitive Neuroprosthetics; Director, Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, EPFL/Campus Biotech; Professor, Neurology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Geneva; Member, GESDA Academic Forum, Switzerland
Lidia Brito, Director, UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Sciences, Latin America, and the Caribbean; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Mozambique (remotely)
Marcello Ienca, Group Leader, EPFL; Senior Research Fellow, ETHZ, Italy
Judy Illes, Professor of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Canada (remotely)
Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Switzerland

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Making Sense of Science Anticipation for Concrete Impact

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Abstract

Anticipating breakthroughs in science and technology is of little use if you can’t act on that foresight. Putting ideas into practice is complex and requires properly framing the challenge and need for action, tapping innovative solutions and finding resourceful partners. Bringing all of these functions together in one place could create a powerful new model for translating anticipatory science into benefits for humanity. Geneva and GEDSA are ideally placed to act as such a hub that can bring together businesses, innovators, academics, citizens and diplomats to share their knowledge and resources and develop solutions to tomorrow’s most pressing challenges.
 

  • Drawing on two examples from GESDA’s Breakthrough Radar, how are the anticipated scientific advancements in quantum and neuroscience most relevant for society?
  • What roles can business, government, philanthropy and civil society play?
  • What type of actions are needed to facilitate the process from labs to solutions?

Participants

Moderated by:
Karin Jestin, Strategic Philanthropy Advisor, Philanthropic & Humanitarian Initiatives, Switzerland

With:
Patrick Aebischer, President Emeritus, EPFL, Vice- Chairman GESDA, Switzerland
Anousheh Ansari, CEO, XPRIZE Foundation; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, US/Iran
Maria Cattaui, Global Board Member, Open Society Foundations, Greece/Switzerland
Joseph D’Cruz, Special Advisor, Strategic Planning & Innovation, Executive Office of the Administrator, United Nations Development Program, Malaysia

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Negotiating the Boundaries of our Genetic Future
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Abstract

The price of sequencing a human genome has fallen from $2.7 billion to $300 in just 20 years. This dramatic improvement in our ability to read DNA is now setting the stage for an even bigger revolution in our ability to write our genetic futures. Over the next decade gene therapies that can tackle the most intractable inherited diseases and cancers will go mainstream. Within 25 years the ability to enhance human capabilities will come within reach, letting us augment sensory capacities and enabling us to thrive in space. That could pose complex biosecurity challenges and raise profound questions about what it means to be human. Given the immense costs of today’s experimental gene therapies, work needs to be done to ensure their benefits are shared equitably.
 

  • What are the opportunities and risks posed by our growing mastery over human genetics?
  • Where does the line between healing and augmentation lie and who decides what is allowed?
  • Genetic capabilities will appear gradually and surreptitiously. How do we ensure their benefits are shared equitably?

Participants

Moderated by:
Jane Metcalfe, Founder, NEO.LIFE; Co-Founder, WIRED magazine, USA

With:
George Church, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Professor, Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard and MIT, USA (remotely)
Katherine Littler, Co-Lead, Global Health Ethics & Governance Unit, World Health Organization, UK
Effy Vayena, Professor of Bioethics, ETHZ; Founder, Health Ethics and Policy Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology; Member, GESDA Academic Forum, Greece/Switzerland (remotely)
Ambroise Wonkam, Professor and Senior Medical Genetics Consultant, Division of Human Genetics, Faculty, Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cameroon

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Opening Quantum for the Benefit of Humanity
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Abstract

In 2019, Google used a computer with 54 quantum bits, or qubits, to perform a calculation in 200 seconds that would have taken the world’s most powerful supercomputer 10,000 years to complete. The answers had little practical use, but it marked a major inflection point in the development of quantum technology. Over the next decade, quantum computers that can turbocharge the search for new materials and drugs will become a reality. So will quantum communication networks with uncrackable encryption and quantum sensors providing ultra-precise measurements in medicine, Earth sciences and positioning systems. The strategic potential of this new quantum infrastructure will require global coordination to both ensure and control access to it, so that its opportunities are open to everyone, and its applications are beneficial to all.
 

  • What intractable problems could quantum computers help to solve?
  • What is the best way to help policymakers understand quantum technology, so they are better prepared to take advantage of quantum advances and to make sensible and forward-looking decisions?
  • How can we make sure the benefits of quantum technology applications are open to all?

Participants

Moderated by:
Katia Moskvitch, Communications Lead Europe, IBM Research, UK

With:
Anousheh Ansari, CEO, XPRIZE Foundation; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, USA/Iran
Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General, CERN; Board Member, GESDA, Italy
Nicolas Gisin, Honorary Professor, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Elham Kashefi, Professor of Computer Science; Personal Chair, Quantum Computing, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh; Director, CNRS, Sorbonne University; Co-Founder, VeriQloud, Iran
Matthias Troyer, Distinguished Scientist, Microsoft Quantum; Member, GESDA Academic Forum, Austria
Peter Knight, Emeritus Professor, Faculty, Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Imperial College London; Former Defence Scientific Advisory Council, UK Ministry of Defence, UK (remotely)

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Revitalizing Multilateralism through Anticipatory Science and Diplomacy
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Abstract

The grand challenges facing humanity in the 21st century will be both global and technical. Climate change, unemployment, hunger, and a host of other issues will require experts of all kinds around the world to come together to solve them. Yet today, trust in science is on the decline and multilateralism in some regions appears to be in retreat. This highlights the need for a revitalization of science diplomacy and a major update to the frameworks that underpin it. This will be crucial, not only for tackling the challenges already before us, but also anticipating future technical and policy developments in time to foster multilateral solutions.
 

  • How can we bring current and anticipated scientific breakthroughs to the forefront of policymaking to tackle emerging grand challenges, and how can we train future leaders to be bilingual in both science and diplomacy?
  • In future science diplomacy, what would be the most effective roles for people on the local level or those outside of government?
  • How can we reinvigorate trust in science among citizens?

Participants

Moderated by:
Marga Gual Soler, Science Diplomat; Founder, SciDipGLOBAL, Spain

With:
Micheline Calmy-Rey, Former President of the Swiss Confederation; Visiting Professor, University of Geneva; Board Member, GESDA , Switzerland
Yves Flückiger, President, swissuniversities; Rector, University of Geneva; President, Campus Biotech Geneva Foundation, Switzerland
Joël Mesot, President, ETHZ; Co-Chair, GESDA Academic Forum, Switzerland
Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, UNITAR, India

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Reviving the Human Right to Science
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Abstract

The notion that everyone has a right to benefit from scientific progress is enshrined in the United Nations’ 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (UDHR), adopted under the guidance of Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the drafting committee, and in the UN’s 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and other international and regional treaties. It is far from clear, however, exactly what freedoms and responsibilities derive from this established right of all people to “share in scientific advancement and its benefits”, as the UN declared, and for most of its history, governments have largely allowed this right to remain dormant and neglected. As science and technology take an ever-greater role in our lives, now might be the time to bring this right back to life. An important first step would be to specify just what exactly is meant by the right to science. Proposals for reviving this right include a collective commitment to open science and inclusivity, new forums for data-sharing and the establishment of a deliberative body to ensure the latest scientific evidence is taken into account in policymaking.
 

  • What freedoms and responsibilities does the “right to science” entail?
  • How can the right to science be used to benefit humanity?
  • How can we make this a “living human right” that is taken seriously by policymakers, and how can we encourage signatories to the UDHR to renew their commitment to the right to science?

Participants

Moderated by:
Samira Kiani, CEO and Founder, GenexGen; Director, Tomorrow.Life Initiative; Associate Professor, Liver Research Center, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Member, GESDA Academic Forum, USA

With:
Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); Former President of Chile; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Chile (remotely)
Yvonne Donders, Head, Department of International and European Public Law; Commissioner, Netherlands Human Rights Institute, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Kamila Markram, neuroscientist, cofounder and CEO of Frontiers, Germany
Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Switzerland

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Utilizing Space Resources for Collective Prosperity
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Abstract

The minerals locked up in the most valuable asteroid in our solar system are worth $15 quintillion, according to estimates from startup Planetary Resources. The number should be taken with a grain of salt, but even if it’s off by several orders of magnitude, the sum would still be colossal. The ability to mine these minerals is at least 25 years away and the economic benefits still uncertain, but their scale demonstrates the enormous opportunities lying beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Taking advantage of this abundance is beyond any one country or industry and will require renewed multilateralism to ensure the global commons of space benefits all of humanity. Setting the stage for a new, collaborative approach to using space resources will also have nearer-term impacts as we expand our use of low-Earth orbit and prepare to go to the Moon.
 

  • What is the potential scale of space resources, and will we be able to exploit them?
  • Will/Should space resources boost development on Earth or fuel off-world expansion?
  • What rights should countries have to own or exploit resources beyond Earth’s orbit?

Participants

Moderated by:
Adriana Marais, Director, Foundation for Space Development Africa; Member, South African Government Ministerial Task Team on the fourth Industrial Revolution; Faculty, Singularity University and Duke Corporate Education, South Africa

With:
Niklas Hedman, Chief of Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section, UNOOSA, Sweden (remotely)
Mathias Link, Director, European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC); Director, International Affairs and Space Resources, Luxemburg Space Agency, Luxembourg
Tanja Masson-Zwaan, Assistant Professor and Deputy Director, International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University; President Emerita, International Institute of Space Law, The Netherlands (remotely)
Su Meng, Founder, Origin Space Corp., China (remotely)
Patrick Michel, Senior Researcher, CNRS (Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur), Team Leader, TOP (Théories et Observations en Planétologie), France

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Designing an Economic Compass for Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Societies

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Abstract

Economic growth has significantly improved material well-being around the world, reduced poverty and closed the gap between rich and poor nations. At the same time, it has led to growing inequality within nations and over-exploitation of the Earth’s resources. Global economies face several challenges in the future: first, a wave of technological developments fuelled by artificial intelligence (AI) will further test the limits of today’s views about labour, capital and employment. Second, climate change creates an urgent necessity to use natural resources more carefully. Third, there are grounds for a move against globalization and towards more localization that could undo the benefits of international specialization. These developments call for a new economic compass to help us chart a course through the policy challenges ahead. This will help anticipate winners and losers of economic shifts ahead of time, design welfare systems fit to purpose, better understand and counter environmental externalities associated with various economic choices and build more resilience into the global economy.

 

  • Which policy interventions have the best chance to guarantee human employment in meaningful jobs and avoid growing inequalities when intelligent machines become more widespread in the future?
  • How can we move rapidly towards a regenerative circular economy that limits the impact of our economic actions on the planet while assuring the well-being of all?
  • Can we make globalization more resilient and sustainable without losing the benefits of international specialization?

Participants

Moderated by:
Richard Baldwin, Professor, Graduate Institute Geneva, Switzerland

Organized by:
Jean-Pierre Danthine, E4S Executive Director, University of Lausanne/IMD/EPFL; Member, GESDA Academic Forum, Switzerland

With:
Philippe Aghion, Professor, College de France, INSEAD and London School of Economics, UK
Ian Goldin, Professor, Oxford University, Senior Fellow at the Oxford Martin School, UK
Katheline Schubert, Professor, Paris School of Economics, France

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Announcement of the GESDA-XPRIZE Partnership

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Participants

With:
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman, GESDA Board of Directors, Austria
Anousheh Ansari, CEO, XPRIZE Foundation; Member, GESDA Diplomacy Forum, USA/Iran

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Comment anticiper, accompagner et partager les évolutions scientifiques à venir ?
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Participant

Enrico Letta, Secretary of the Italian Democratic Party; President, Jacques Delors Institute; Former Prime Minister of Italy; Former Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Science Po-PSIA, Member of GESDA Diplomacy Forum, Italy

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