UNESCO Office in Bangkok: Themes

Themes

Spreading knowledge and fostering understanding through science helps us to find solutions to today’s acute economic, social and environmental challenges and to move toward sustainable development and greener societies. As no one country can achieve sustainable development alone, international scientific cooperation contributes not only to scientific knowledge but also to building peace.

UNESCO works to assist countries to invest in science, technology and innovation (STI); to develop national science policies; to reform their science systems; and to build capacity to monitor and evaluate performance through STI indicators and statistics, taking into account the broad range of country-specific contexts.

Science policies are not enough. Science and engineering education at all levels, as well as research capacity, must be developed to enable countries to develop their own solutions to their specific problems and to make their own contributions in the international scientific and technological arenas.

Water is fundamental for life and ensuring water security for communities worldwide is essential to peace and sustainable development. Scientific understanding of the water cycle, the distribution and characteristics of surface and groundwater, as well as knowledge of urban water systems, help to promote the sustainable management of freshwater resources for a healthy environment and in a way that responds to human needs.

Scientific knowledge of the Earth’s history and mineral resources as well as its ecosystems and biodiversity and the effects of human interaction with these resources is important to help us understand how to manage our planet for a peaceful and sustainable future.