Pretoria

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Ministers and senior officials from G20 member states and invited countries gathered in Tshwane, South Africa, on 23 September 2025, for the G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting.

The meeting, held under the theme "Science, Technology and Innovation for Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability", reaffirmed the critical role of international cooperation in science, technology and innovation (STI) to address urgent global challenges. Delegates emphasised that no country could thrive in isolation, and committed to building inclusive, ethical and sustainable STI ecosystems.

The meeting endorsed a suite of initiatives referred to as the Tshwane Package, which includes –

• G20 recommendations on science engagement to foster public trust, participation and literacy in science;
• a G20 open innovation platform of platforms to facilitate voluntary knowledge sharing across borders;
• an open innovation demonstrator project focused on disaster risk reduction and water security;
• support for global biodiversity data cooperation, including the development of a catalogue of life;
• the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in STI; and
• a compendium of good practices and a thematic portal to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in STI.

The Ministers also recognised the importance of public participation in STI and endorsed the G20 Recommendations on Science Engagement, which aim to –

• promote open science through multilingual access, transparency and inclusive infrastructures;
• invest in education and skills to build a scientifically literate society from early childhood onwards;
• build trust and mutual understanding through community-based initiatives, indigenous knowledge-led projects and multilingual     publishing; and
• enhance global leadership by fostering international cooperation, celebrating science in society, and supporting vulnerable communities' participation in research.

These efforts are designed to empower citizens to shape, contribute to and benefit from scientific progress.

Under South Africa's G20 Presidency a series of high-level STI engagements were convened, including Science20 engagements on climate, food, water, energy and land systems; the G20 Chief Science Advisers' Roundtable on evidence-based policymaking; workshops on the bioeconomy, artificial intelligence for sustainable development, and Africa's human genetic diversity. A visit to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory site in the Northern Cape was also arranged to showcase this international research infrastructure.

The meeting expressed appreciation for the contributions of knowledge partners, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Delegates commended South Africa's leadership and expressed anticipation of continued progress under the United States G20 Presidency in 2026.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.

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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).

For more information, follow the updates by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation or visit www.dsti.gov.za.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of South Africa.