The 10th of November marks the World Science Day for Peace and Development. This international day was established in 2001 by UNESCO, to raise awareness about the importance of scientific knowledge to face, in a constructive way, the multiple challenges affecting human societies so far. The UN 2030 Agenda focuses on 17 objectives, all of them aiming to support peace and development and all of them requiring support from scientific knowledge.

Most of these objectives rely on the implementation of reliable measurement systems, based on scientific networks and linked to internationally agreed references, to provide confidence, based on evidence, for sound decision making. However, there are millions of biological and chemical substances to be measured, under different circumstances and at different levels. Providing comparable results, even for a single substance, may be itself a challenge.

Eurachem is a network of organisations, currently from 35 countries in Europe and the European Commission, promoting good quality practices in analytical sciences and the international traceability of analytical measurements. To support this aim, Eurachem also collaborates with several other international organisations sharing similar objectives.

Eurachem activities are based on open discussions among all those interested in the production and use of analytical measurements, to develop the possible best approaches to common problems in this area. Eurachem guidance is developed taking a considered approach to the outcome of these discussions and is made freely available. Many Eurachem guides are cited by accreditation agencies as reference documents. Beside the translations by members in their own language, other organisations or individuals may request permission to undertake translations into other languages. Some of the Guides are already available in Farsi.

In addition, Eurachem organises regular workshops and training activities both on-line or in person, to promote knowledge of existing guidance and address new challenges for analytical measurements arising from both scientific and societal developments. All Eurachem events have been attended by scientists from across the world, supporting an open exchange of views on how to better contribute, by improving the type, number, quality, reliability and comparability of analytical measurements, to support solutions to new (and old) problems. Recent events can be found on our Completed Events pages.  Most presentations for Eurachem events are available from the website and some from the Eurachem YouTube channel.

Forthcoming events can be found in our calendar and workshops page.  The next event is the 5th event of a successful series, a training workshop on experiences and challenges of implementing the revised accreditation standards ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189. The event will be held in Nicosia (Cyprus) on 12 – 13 March 2025. This series of events has proven successful also for promoting the active participation of scientists from neighbouring countries to Europe.

Eurachem also invites you to celebrate the World Science Day for Peace and Development by joining the interactive UNESCO event Why Science Matters - Engaging Minds and Empowering Future on Tuesday 12/11/2024 14:00-16:00 CEST, to further explore why and how your work in science can contribute, by fostering innovation and collaboration, to promote peace and well-being for all.

Marina Patriarca

World Science Day for Peace and Development - Resources

Information about the World Day and the International Week

Event: Why Science Matters - Engaging Minds and Empowering Futures - Registration

Video - Frontier issues: Artificial Intelligence and Development

Details

Published: Sunday, 10 November 2024 15:34

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