2026 IDSSD Global Conference

The 2026 Global Conference of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD, 2024-2033) will take place from 15–17 July 2026 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This hybrid event, themed ‘Science in Action: Charting a Sustainable and Equitable Future for All’, gathers global stakeholders to accelerate sustainable development through inclusive, knowledge-based solutions.

BRIDGES and the IDSSD

The BRIDGES Coalition, organised within UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST) programme, champions community-anchored and humanities-inclusive sustainability science. The Resolution that created the IDSSD was adopted on 23 August 2023, acknowledges

that humanity is exposed to complex challenges, and that the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in all its dimensions requires a more effective and inclusive approach based on synergistic cooperation of all sciences – basic and applied sciences as well as social and human sciences, including traditional knowledge – enabling the development of technology, innovation and education (A/RES/77/326)

Working to foster a fully transdisciplinary approach to sustainable development research, BRIDGES is an optimal coalition working to support the IDSSD. Our involvement is also formally rooted in our role as a founding member of the Earth-Humanity Coalition (EHC)—a global bottom-up network connecting and mobilising a wide variety of organisations worldwide, established to implement initiatives in close cooperation with UNESCO in support of the IDSSD.

Session Details: Science is social

As part of our commitment to the Decade, BRIDGES’ Founding Executive Director Steven Hartman will contribute to a session at the Global Conference titled 'Science is social' co-organised by the International Science Council (ISC) and UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST) programme (Room VII, Thursday, 16 July 2026, 16:50-18:00 CEST). He will present on ‘Co-production in practice: lessons from inclusive science-policy interfaces across regions’. The session will focus on the critical contributions of social and human sciences to sustainable development and the science-policy nexus.

Session Objectives

This session aims to:

• Critically assess the current state of the science-policy interface, with particular attention to the role of social and human sciences in shaping and informing sustainability governance at global, regional, and national levels.
• Identify structural, institutional, and epistemic barriers that prevent rigorous social science evidence from being effectively integrated into policy processes.
• Showcase concrete examples of successful science-policy translation, including transdisciplinary approaches and co-production models that bridge academic research with actionable policy.
• Explore pathways to strengthen national and international science advisory systems, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and the integration of diverse disciplines and knowledge systems.
• Inform the ISC Social Science Matters Programme and drive collaboration towards its objectives.

Alignment with IDSSD Priorities

This session directly advances core pillars of the Decade, focusing on translating knowledge into SDG solutions, open science and knowledge equity, transdisciplinary cooperation, and transforming innovation systems.

For the full programme and further information, please visit the official UNESCO event page.

Join the Conference

Webcast The panel discussions taking place on 15–16 July will be broadcast live at this link: UNESCO - Live Event

In-person registration

Join UNESCO in Paris to help chart the next phase of global action for science, sustainability and equity. Registration link below.

2026 Global Conference of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) (15-17 July 2026)