On 29 October, UNU-CPR, in collaboration with the British Academy, convened a workshop on Designing Next-Generation Science-Policy Interfaces: Models, Challenges, and Opportunities in New York, as part of the Centre’s Global Governance Innovation Platform (GGI).
Since the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, the number and diversity of Science-Policy Interfaces (SPIs) have expanded significantly across multilateral processes. While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) remains a reference model, new SPIs are emerging across diverse domains, including biodiversity, chemicals, health, oceans and artificial intelligence, each adapted to the specificities of its policy environment and knowledge base.
The event brought together policymakers, SPIs practitioners, scholars, and civil society actors to map the current landscape and explore opportunities for the next generation of science-policy institutions. Opening remarks framed the discussion around learning from existing models, and innovating to more effectively translate scientific knowledge into policy across domains. Science was also acknowledged as a cornerstone of multilateral cooperation and a global public good, and there were calls for stronger open science frameworks to widen access to research and data, especially for the Global South.
To shorten the lag between scientific discovery and policy response, it was further argued that strengthening dialogue between scientists and policymakers, while building scientific literacy within policymaking institutions, were required.
Institutional design and credibility
The workshop’s high-level panel featured representatives from the UN Secretary-General’s Executive Office, the World Bank, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), among others. Speakers discussed institutional design features that enhance credibility and policy relevance, including independence, inclusivity and clarity of mandate.
This discussion reflected on lessons from the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board, noting that credibility depends not only on the quality of expertise but also on diversity of perspectives and proximity to decision-making processes. It also looked to the Global AI Panel, an expert-led and independent institutional model, with a mandate to provide evidence-based advice that is both transparent and globally representative.
Learning from experience across domains
Discussions throughout the day examined how existing SPIs balance scientific rigour with policy responsiveness. The value of procedural and epistemological equity in incorporating Indigenous and local knowledge was acknowledged, and there was additional interest in more systematic collaboration among SPIs to address interconnected challenges underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It was further observed that equitable access to information remains uneven across countries, and greater efforts were still needed to ensure that international institutions serve as credible, reliable sources of data, enabling informed policy in resource-constrained environments.
Participants also examined emerging models in health and environmental governance, including efforts to develop standing mechanisms for synthesizing evidence on antimicrobial resistance and pandemic preparedness, and reflections on the experience of the World Ocean Assessment in integrating scientific input into intergovernmental processes.
Rethinking impact and the future of SPIs
A recurring theme was the question of impact: how and when scientific assessments inform policy, and what institutional conditions enable this translation. Participants noted that impact pathways are rarely linear, and that contestation and negotiation are integral to knowledge uptake. Designing SPIs with clear feedback loops with sustainable financing emerged as necessary for ensuring their long-term effectiveness.
In closing, participants observed that differences across scientific fields shape institutional design and the credibility of evidence in global governance. The discussion indicated that SPIs must balance scientific independence with political utility while fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and ongoing collaboration between science, policy and the UN.
About the workshop
This workshop forms part of UNU-CPR’s Global Governance Innovation Platform (GGI), which explores innovative governance structures and decision-making mechanisms for solutions to today’s complex global challenges. GGI is developing a Working Paper synthesizing these insights and hopes it will serve as a foundation for ongoing cross-disciplinary discussion and collaboration.
