Building Better Science Diplomacy for Global Challenges: insights from the COVID-19 crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many weaknesses in the interface between scientific research and international relations. The pandemic, like other global challenges, is both knowledge-intensive, in that it requires engagement with scientific knowledge for effective policymaking, and cross-border, in that it is not solvable by a single country acting alone. It is an example of what the S4D4C project (Horizon 2020 grant agreement No 770342; Using Science for/in Diplomacy for Addressing Global Challenges) is tasked with helping Europe to understand and address through science diplomacy. Based on a broad range of case study research, the S4D4C project has identified a number of key aspects that matter for science diplomacy. In this policy brief, we address four of those (narratives, interests, values, and interdisciplinarity) and discuss their relevance in the COVID-19 crisis. Drawing on these insights, we offer five policy recommendations for expanding and improving future science diplomacy efforts: (1) Create interactive spaces, (2) Promote bi-directional science and diplomacy fluency, (3) Engage the full spectrum of science, (4) Ensure open and interpretable science for diplomacy, and (5) Exert bold values-based leadership. In combination, these will create a strong foundation for addressing not only the ongoing issues in this crisis but also other global challenges, both known and unexpected.see https://www.s4d4c.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/S4D4C_PolicyBrief_June2020_BuildingBetterScienceDiplomacy_COVID-19.pd