The meeting of G7 ministers took place on Tuesday to discuss ways to promote the free flow of scientific knowledge across borders…reports Asian Lite News
G7 science ministers have committed to strengthening international collaboration on scientific research, as nations work together to build back better from the pandemic.
The meeting of G7 ministers took place on Tuesday to discuss ways to promote the free flow of scientific knowledge across borders and enhance cooperation while protecting international research and innovation from security risks.
Ministers were also joined by Dr Fabiola Giannotti, Director General of CERN, and member of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) to discuss widening participation in scientific research through efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.
“This pandemic has demonstrated the urgent need for governments to work together to tackle our common challenges,” Science Minister Amanda Solloway said. “From genomic sequencing to vaccines, our scientists and researchers have achieved far more working across borders than they would have been able to alone.”
“I’m pleased that today’s Ministerial and the G7 Research Compact set the foundations for even more effective collaboration in the years ahead,” she added.
The meeting followed the G7 Compact on Research Collaboration, which committed G7 nations to support policies, legal frameworks and programmes which will protect and enhance international scientific research and collaboration.
The agreement means G7 Science Ministries, including the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), will work together to address barriers that hinder research cooperation, improving our ability to respond to future crises such as pandemics.