On 21 September 2025, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in collaboration with its entity, the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI), will host the G20 Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable (CSAR) in Pretoria, bringing together science advisers and their equivalents from the G20 member and guest countries, along with international organisations.
This follows the CSAR’s technical meeting in Pretoria in April 2025, which resulted in a draft zero Outcome Statement that served as the basis for negotiations at three virtual intersession consultation meetings held in July, August, and early September 2025.
The CSAR is a meeting of the G20 science advisers and their equivalents to discuss shared scientific priorities and seek collective solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges. These include climate change, growing inequality, and the slow progress in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Building on the foundation laid by India during its 2023 G20 Presidency, CSAR 2025 is designed to foster inclusive global science advice. It supports high-level policy dialogue among chief science advisers from across the G20, enabling them to shape a shared global science, technology and innovation agenda and align STI policies with sustainable and equitable development.
This Roundtable, which will be held alongside the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group (RIWG) on 21-22 September and the G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting on 23 September 2025, will primarily discuss and endorse the Outcome Statement.
This year’s CSAR provides an excellent chance for South Africa to highlight its perspectives in shaping inclusive global STI advisory systems, as well as to contribute to the development of science advise capacity across the developing world.
It will be hosted under the theme “Equity-based science, technology and innovation for inclusive human development and global sustainability”.
The priorities for this roundtable are the development and promotion of a global STI agenda to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enable a just, equitable and inclusive energy transition as well as working towards a global knowledge system that is equitable and open to all.
Furthermore, the priorities also include leveraging G20 STI initiatives to strengthen STI capacity-building initiatives in developing countries, particularly in Africa.
The Roundtable will have two sessions as follows:
Date: Sunday, 21 September 2025
- Session 1 (09:00 –13:00, Maslow Time Square Hotel, Pretoria)
- This will be a formal, closed session for Chief Science Advisers and their equivalents (government representatives) from the G20 and guest countries. The meeting will discuss and endorse the Outcome Statement.
- Session 2 (15:00 –17:00, CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria)
- This will be an open knowledge sharing session focused on the importance of science, technology and innovation (STI) advisory mechanisms and capacity-building platforms for the G20, Africa, and the developing world.
Additional participants in the open session include representatives from science advice institutions such as the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA), selected STI policy institutions, universities, and research councils.
The CSAR 2025 is positioning the country as a hub for high-level global discussions on science, technology and innovation (STI).
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