The world's most pressing challenges, from climate change and inequality to public health crises, require more than just technological fixes. They demand deep social understanding. This critical message underpinned the MOST Forum 2025, the annual flagship event of UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme, which convened in Pretoria, South Africa, on 22 September.
Staged on the eve of the G20 Science Ministerial, the forum served as a high-level intellectual prelude, pushing the imperative for evidence-based social science to directly inform global policy.
The central purpose of the gathering was clear: to strengthen the vital link between research and policy to create more inclusive and sustainable societies.
We are faced with complex, interconnected issues that defy siloed solutions, which can only evolve from being able to effectively bridge the gap between academic research and government action.
The forum brought together an influential mix of ministers, leading researchers, and civil society actors for robust, high-level conversations. Participants explored practical mechanisms for integrating scientific findings, specifically in the fields of sociology, economics, political science, and anthropology, into national and international policy frameworks.
The discussion themes were aligned with South Africa's G20 priorities, focusing intently on the pillars of Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.
• Solidarity explored how social cohesion can be fostered in divided communities and across nations to tackle shared crises.
• Equality focused on identifying and dismantling systemic barriers to inclusion and promoting equitable access to resources and opportunities.
•Sustainability moved beyond environmental issues to examine the social dimensions of the green transition, ensuring that sustainability efforts do not exacerbate existing inequalities.
The hope is that the insights and actionable recommendations generated by the MOST Forum will directly influence the agendas and declarations arising from the G20 Science Ministerial, establishing social science as an indispensable tool for global governance.
