The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei hosted the meeting of the National Academies of the G7 countries on 11-12 April 2024.
The initiative, launched in 2005 by the Royal Society (the British academy of sciences) during the UK Presidency of the G7 Leader’s Summit, is called Science7 or S7. The purpose of the meeting is to develop joint statements on major issues of global concern to be presented to the G7 Heads of State and Government in view of the Summit. On the same model, a similar initiative by the Academies of Science of the G20 countries (Science20 or S20) has also been held since 2017. In 2021, in connection with Italy's rotating presidency of the G20, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei organized the S20+SSH20 Academies Meeting, which included, for the first time, the social sciences and humanities (SSH) academies, as was the case for this year’s event.
The S7+SSH7 meeting was attended by the leaders of the Royal Society of Canada; the Académie des sciences (France); the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina; the Science Council of Japan; the British Academy and the Royal Society (United Kingdom); and the National Academy of Sciences (USA).
The delegation, led by the Lincei President Roberto Antonelli and the Vice President Giorgio Parisi, was received on April 11th by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to whom the Joint Statements were presented. Read the press release on the Quirinale website
On April 12th at Palazzo Corsini, headquarters of the Lincei Academy, a ceremony was held, in which the joint statements were officially presented to Ambassador Elisabetta Belloni, G7/G20 Sherpa of the Italian Presidency of the Council, who spoke to outline the priorities of the Italian presidency of the G7.
Below abstracts of the topics addressed in the S7+SSH7 Joint Statements.
THe documents are published in the section International Relations
Security and protection of food production
Global warming and improper use of natural resources are causing great difficulties in the production of agricultural commodities. These difficulties could become problems unless there is a more effective and sustainable utilization of resources, increasing productivity through the use of scientific knowledge, and a change in eating habits by the world's population, particularly those in the Western world. According to the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development, only by following this path can the ongoing emergencies in the poorest countries also be addressed. The G7 Academies recommend a strong and sustained political commitment to the promotion of a new agrarian revolution to radically improve agricultural and food processes according to the new ecological and social conditions of the planet.
Artificial intelligence and society
Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing society and the way we work. Along with the promises of progress come numerous risks that must be addressed in a coordinated and inclusive manner. The G7 Academies make a number of recommendations. The most relevant ones are, from a technical point of view, the demand that Artificial Intelligence systems be secure, transparent and reliable, while at the same time ensuring the confidentiality of user data. From an ethical point of view, governments are asked to encourage socially useful applications of Artificial Intelligence and to foster cooperation between private individuals, who create innovation, and public institutions that regulate development and promote basic research.
Public health policies
In the health sector, the G7 Academies, in agreement with the World Health Organization, highlight antimicrobial resistance as a major global threat and call for incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new antimicrobials, vaccines and diagnostic tests for communicable diseases.
Other recommendations include supporting national health systems (many are in crisis and underfunded) and primary prevention that is still largely neglected.
In addition, climate and environmental changes threaten the health of millions, and a rapid transition from fossil fuels to alternative solutions, including renewable energy, is urgently needed. To prevent new pandemics, research into new technologies and platforms for the rapid development of vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and other innovative solutions must be prioritized.
Nuclear arms control
The last few decades have seen the cancellation of several nuclear arms control treaties and, at the same time, the escalation of international tensions. Science clearly indicates that the harm to populations and the environment from nuclear conflicts is of unacceptable severity. The scientific community will continue to develop and communicate evidence on the effects of nuclear conflict and to develop methods to monitor, oversee, and verify new international agreements needed to reduce the risk of nuclear ordnance use, in support of government action.
The G7 Academies will ask the leaders of their countries to reaffirm their commitment to moving toward a world free of nuclear weapons and to work toward this goal.
Social inequality and poverty
Extreme poverty, defined as surviving on less than $2.15 per person per day, has declined significantly around the world in recent decades. However, the emergence of COVID-19 marked a turning point. Vulnerability to poverty has increased dramatically as a result of health, food and climate crises. It is therefore necessary to strengthen more specific anti-poverty policies in addition to promoting economic growth. The recommendation of the G7 Academies is to engage in an open dialogue of cooperation among countries, under the banner of respect and reciprocity, to identify protection policies to improve the capacity and resilience of populations. Such action could be conducted using and integrating the institutional infrastructure offered by the United Nations with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Science and communication of cultural heritage
There is a need for collaboration and understanding among G7 countries on the issues of safeguarding, protecting and disseminating knowledge of Cultural Heritage, i.e., the set of tangible and intangible products of human culture that lie at the roots of human history. Culture has also shaped the landscape, which is our environment and home, and as such should be recognized and known in its natural, historical and cultural dimensions, encouraging its interdisciplinary study and preservation. The recovery of the 'memory' of our past, through the shared knowledge and appreciation of its traces and material expressions, lies at the basis of a correct reading and understanding of our present and a conscious planning of our future.
The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei has already hosted the meeting in 2009 and in 2017, during Italy's Presidency of the G7 Leader’s Summit.