About
The 2026 Global Conference of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) is UNESCO's stock-taking moment two years into the UN Science Decade. It assesses progress, showcases science-driven solutions, and helps shape priorities toward a post-2030 development agenda.
Held in Paris in the second half of July, it extends the month's SDG-and-technology thread from Geneva and New York into the science-policy arena.
What we're watching
- A mid-Decade scorecard. Two years into the UN Science Decade, the first IDSSD Global Report launches here, the closest thing to an official progress check.
- Governing the frontier. Dedicated thematic sessions on AI, quantum science, and the governance of emerging technologies put science policy next to tech governance.
- Closing science divides. Gender, North–South, and public-versus-private gaps run through the programme as a connecting theme.
What to expect
- A high-level opening and ministerial dialogue.
- Plenaries on science diplomacy and the role of science in post-2030 frameworks.
- The launch of the first IDSSD Global Report (2024–2026).
- 35 parallel thematic sessions on 16–17 July, including AI, quantum science, and the governance of emerging technologies, and closing global science divides.
How to follow it
Panel discussions on 15–16 July stream on the UNESCO webcast. In-person attendance is by registration through the UN's Indico platform.
Session coverage
Across the conference (15–17 July), we'll post short SDGCounting summaries of the plenaries and thematic sessions that matter: what was said, who said it, and why it counts for science and the SDGs. They'll be collected here.
Session summaries will appear here during and after the event.
Key links
- Conference announcement, UNESCO
- Science Decade, programme site
- Registration (Indico)