The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) will host the G20 Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable (G20 CSAR) during South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
The G20 CSAR was first convened during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023, where a distinct role for its existence was identified in relation to G20 science, technology and innovation (STI) policy advice and its relevance for national and international decision-making processes.
The CSAR is an integral part of the G20 STI track. The 2025 theme for the CSAR will be “Equity-based science, technology and innovation for inclusive human development and global sustainability”. Under this theme South Africa will provide a platform to examine the causal determinants of STI inequality globally, and to identify approaches and strategies to transcend these fundamental challenges. In this regard both the theme and focus of the CSAR are fully aligned with the key thematic objectives of the G20 Summit, namely, “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”.
The G20 CSAR will be preceded by a technical meeting of experts representing the G20 Chief Science Advisers and their equivalents in Pretoria on 24 and 25 April 2025. The purpose of this gathering is to discuss the objectives and exchange perspectives on the proposed thematic issues elaborated on in the concept note and related documents submitted by South Africa in preparation for the main CSAR in September 2025.
The exact date and venue for the September CSAR, which will be attended by Chief Science Advisors and their equivalents, will be confirmed in due course.
For more information, contact Ms Precious Lukhele at Precious.Lukhele@dsti.gov.za and Ms Nondumiso Jwatya at Nondumiso.Jwatya@dsti.gov.za.