Webinar: Is There a Future for Science Diplomacy?

Science has proven at times to be a useful partner to help achieve diplomatic goals. In the 1980s the non-governmental Track II dialogues between scientists from the U.S. and the Soviet Union contributed to diplomatic progress on nuclear arms control treaties when Gorbachev came to power. The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, considered one of most successful international agreements, required the collaboration of scientists who raised concerns about the destruction of the ozone layer, corporations that developed refrigerants without ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and diplomats who pursued an international agreement to phase out their production. More recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its reports, including summaries negotiated between scientists and policymakers, have contributed to international negotiations that produced the 2015 Paris Agreement. Yet today, with the world facing increased competition, conflicts, and wars involving the major powers, acceleration of climate change, pandemics, and security threats emerging from new technologies along with concerns about the risks involved in international scientific engagements, have resulted in significant reversals of past progress and large obstacles for using scientific engagement to advance diplomacy. In this new era, what are the priorities for science diplomacy, including international engagement by non-governmental scientific organizations? What kinds of obstacles stand in the way of effective science diplomacy efforts? Please join us for a conversation with Dr. E. William Colglazier, hosted by Duke University Rethinking Diplomacy Program (RDP) Senior Fellow, Ambassador (ret.) Bob Pearson, and RDP Director, Dr. Giovanni Zanalda. About the Speakers Dr. E. William Colglazier, editor-in-chief of Science and Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), has been involved in science diplomacy for over three decades not only with democratic allies but also with countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and emerging countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. This webinar is organized by the Rethinking Diplomacy Program in collaboration with the Sanford School of Public Policy in alignment with the Duke Climate Commitment. The Rethinking Diplomacy Program is grateful for the longstanding support of the Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation.