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View of the cathedral, Saint Petersburg, Russia

The Scientific Advisory Board of the United Nations Secretary-General is meeting for the 4th time in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, on 14-15 December 2015, to offer recommendations on a range of topics, including the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals as well as the outcomes and implications of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP21); the role of, and impact on, science advice in relation to these processes; and a continuous discussion on the science-policy interface. These topics would span the next two SAB meetings, starting with the meeting in Saint Petersburg and following on to the fifth meeting of the Board scheduled in the spring of 2016.
The Scientific Advisory Board was created in 2013 at the request of the UN Secretary-General to further inform the debate on sustainable development. The Board is composed of 26 eminent scientists representing all regions and many scientific disciplines relevant for sustainable development: the engineering, political and natural sciences are represented as well as for example oceanic, climate and biodiversity research. In addition, all members of the Board have extensive and manifold experience with international scientific cooperation as well as the science-policy-society interface.

Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, is the designated Chair of the Board.