Cairo, Egypt — Prof. Phoebe Koundouri participated in the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) 2025 Triennial Conference and General Assembly, hosted by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (8–10 December). The conference brought together over 160 participants from 68 countries, reflecting the global reach of the IAP community and the depth of expertise shaping discussions at the intersection of science, policy, and society.
The IAP, a global network of more than 140 national, regional, and global science academies, provides independent, evidence-based advice to policymakers and international institutions, playing a critical role at the science–policy–society interface. Prof. Koundouri serves as a member of IAP’s Programme and Development Committee for Communication, Education, and Outreach, representing the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), where she is a Fellow and Trustee.
During the plenary session, Science Academies and Science Diplomacy in a Tumultuous World, Prof. Koundouri contributed to discussions on the growing need for scientific cooperation amid geopolitical uncertainty. The session was chaired by Peggy Hamburg, IAP Co-President, moderated by Ian Wiggins of The Royal Society, and opened with a keynote by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and former World Bank Vice President.
Prof. Koundouri’s intervention presented a UN system perspective grounded in the UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2027, for which she serves as Chief Scientist, as well as the work of the SDSN Global Climate Hub, which she chairs. She highlighted that today’s interconnected crises—climate change, biodiversity loss, food–energy–water insecurity, inequality, and geopolitical instability—cannot be addressed through siloed policies. She underscored the necessity of integrated, data-driven systems transformation pathways that combine advanced modelling with participatory co-design, enabling policymakers to assess trade-offs, maximize SDG co-benefits, and translate commitments into implementable and financeable actions.
Prof. Koundouri also emphasized the urgency of strengthening global commons governance, science diplomacy, and multilateral coordination, alongside reforming the global financial architecture, to ensure that science effectively supports equitable and sustainable development pathways toward 2030 and beyond.
The session featured distinguished participants including Mark Walport (Foreign Secretary and Vice-President, The Royal Society), Dr. Sandeep Sandhu, FRSB (UK Business Connect; UK Young Academy), Mohamed Hassan (Sudanese National Academy of Sciences), Marcelo Knobel (The World Academy of Sciences), Robbert Dijkgraaf (President-elect, International Science Council), and Ourania Kosti.
