May 2025 – UN Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals
From May 6–8, 2025, I attended the UN Science, Technology and Innovation Forum virtually as a youth representative of the NOURISH Initiative, an organization committed to bridging climate justice, education equity, and youth empowerment through our three-pronged approach: education, collaboration, and innovation.
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This year’s Forum centered on advancing evidence-based solutions and inclusive scientific progress to achieve the 2030 Agenda. It was a powerful reminder that science must not only be innovative—but also accessible, equitable, and youth-driven.
1. Science as a Shared Journey – May 7
Organized by the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library, this session spotlighted the importance of open science, community trust, and inclusive participation in global research. As a representative of NOURISH, this directly echoed our goal of empowering underserved youth with access to climate science education and opportunities for innovation.
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One critical takeaway was that public participation in science fosters transparency, combats misinformation, and builds the public trust necessary to implement sustainable policies. This supports our mission to co-create digital platforms and educational campaigns that bring science out of institutions and into communities—especially those historically left out of such dialogues.
2. One Health for All – May 8
Led by a coalition of global public health organizations, this session emphasized the One Health framework—an integrated approach that recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health. It highlighted how climate change, zoonotic diseases, and inequities in healthcare access are all interwoven threats requiring collaborative, science-driven solutions.
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At NOURISH, we already operate at the intersection of these challenges. This session encouraged us to expand our youth workshops and online campaigns to include greater awareness around health-climate links and biosecurity. We also saw potential in integrating our data tools (like interactive surveys and youth-led research) into the Global One Health Index framework being launched.
Reflections and Next Steps for NOURISH
Attending the STI Forum reinforced that young people must be central to global science dialogues—not only as learners, but as innovators, policy contributors, and solution builders.
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These sessions align closely with NOURISH’s three pillars:
Education & Empowerment: Expand open-access scientific content tailored to youth audiences, with an emphasis on climate-health interlinkages.
Collaboration & Community Engagement: Deepen partnerships with health institutions and educators to implement youth-led “One Health" workshops globally.
Innovation & Evaluation: Build data-driven platforms where youth can report environmental and health challenges, propose solutions, and track local impacts.
Looking Ahead
We thank the UN STI Forum for the opportunity to engage with this global network of scientific thinkers and changemakers.
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If you believe, like we do, that the future of science is youth-led, we invite you to partner with NOURISH in building a world where no one is left behind.