SRI 2023 Filled Our Cups!

on July 26, 2023

The Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress (SRI2023) was held online and onsite in Panama, Panama on June 26 to 30 and co-hosted by IAI and SENACYT. This joint initiative of Future Earth and the Belmont Forum was full of vibrant and thought-provoking keynote speakers, thoughtful sessions, and opportunities to meet colleagues and share experiences; including over 30 events led by the Belmont Forum Secretariat and many more led by our Belmont Forum community members.

We welcomed 12 new projects’ researchers to the Belmont Forum through the Mobility & Migrations (Migrations) and Sustainable Systems of Production & Consumption (SSCP) CRAs Kick-Off Meetings, with the vast majority of teams sending members to Panama to participate in person. Researchers associated with the Oceans and Soils CRAs communicated their findings, strengthened their networks, and shared resources through their Mid-Term Meetings. Researchers and funders also came together to celebrate the successful collaborations fostered via the Climate Environment & Health, Pathways towards Sustainability, and Disaster, Risk, Reduction & Resilience CRAs. Finally, scoping events throughout the week for several upcoming CRAs (Future Leaders, Amazonia & Tropical Forests, Environmental Peacebuilding, Pathways to Sustainability II) provided space for us to gather additional input from the transdisciplinary community present at the SRI2023.

Members of the Belmont Forum Secretariat also organised and facilitated sessions at SRI on a variety of topics supporting the values and goals described in the Belmont Challenge including Demystifying International Funding, Research Integrity, Building Equitable Partnerships, Science Communication, and Intercultural Dialogues for Science. Throughout SRI2023 there were several sessions focused on elevating the voices of Indigenous peoples, and youth activists, and providing a space for Women in STEMM to share their experiences, including our sessions “Centering Youth Voices in Science Diplomacy and Negotiations” and “Building a Sustainable Future through the participation of Women in STEMM“ co-hosted with the 500 Women Scientists Panama Pod.

Throughout SRI2023 there were several sessions focused on elevating the voices of Indigenous peoples, and youth activists, and providing a space for Women in STEMM to share their experiences, including our sessions “Centering Youth Voices in Science Diplomacy and Negotiations” and “Building a Sustainable Future through the participation of Women in STEMM“ co-hosted with the 500 Women Scientists Panama Pod. During the SRI 2023 closing ceremony the Indigenous, Local Communities and Afrodescendants Communities representatives delivered a declaration co-developed by themselves during the SRI week. The declaration includes 15 recommendations to foster PICLAs meaningful participation, you can read it here: Declaración de los PICLA´s.

If you missed any of the sessions, you can watch the Congress Recordings HERE!

SRI 2023 was not entirely spent in conference rooms and in plenary. Conference-goers also got to attend an opening night reception at Biomuseo hosted by Senacyt, share their story at a Sustainable Storytelling Night at the Museum of the Panama Canal, and explore Panama City and the surrounding region.

We are already looking forward to connecting with you again in Helsinki for SRI 2024!!!

attendees to Day 1 of the Belmont Forum Plenary

We had the pleasure of bringing Belmont Forum (BF) Members together to meet in a hybrid format at SRI 2023 for the Belmont Forum Plenary. The two-day meeting was aimed at providing Members and Partners with opportunities to continue exploring the research landscape with IPBES through their assessment reports on the values of nature and sustainable use of wild species. The meeting also allowed the BF community to engage in strategic topics such as the annual plan, the coordination practices review, and the evaluation of the kick-off, mid-term and end-term meetings, as well as the scoping activities carried out during the SRI week.

Two new collaborative research actions (CRAs) were approved to move forward to scoping: