Home | Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board

About the Scientific Advisory Board and Network

The Secretary-General's Scientific Advisory Board and its associated global network of scientific institutions advise UN leaders on breakthroughs in science and technology - how to harness the benefits of these advances and mitigate potential risks. The Board provides independent insights on trends at the intersection of science, technology, ethics, governance and sustainable development to support UN System organizations in anticipating, adapting to and leveraging scientific advancements in their work for people, planet and prosperity. The initial priority topics for the Board will be artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and climate change.

Scientific and technological progress can support efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals — but they are also giving rise to ethical, legal and political concerns that require multilateral solutions. As set forth in Our Common Agenda, my Scientific Advisory Board will strengthen the role of the United Nations as a reliable source of data and evidence and provide advice to me and my senior management team.

António Guterres, Secretary-General

Members

Centred around a hybrid model, the Board comprises a group of seven eminent scientists with a track record in applying their expertise, including in the humanities, and another group of Chief Scientists of different UN entities, the UN University Rector, and the Tech Envoy.

Professor Yoshua Benigo of Université de Montreal and founder of Mila

Yoshua Bengio

A.M. Turing Award, Scientific Director of Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Full Professor, Department of Computer Science and Operations Research

Read Yoshua's full profile

Professor Sandra Diaz of the National University of Córdoba

Sandra Díaz

Senior Principal Investigator Argentine National Research Council and Professor of Ecology Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina

Read Sandra's full profile

Fei-Fei Li

Sequoia Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University; Denning Family Co-Director, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), Stanford University

Read Fei-Fei's full profile

Nobel Laureate Thomas Sudhof of Stanford University

Thomas Südhof

Nobel Laureate, Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine

Read Thomas' full profile

Asha de Vos

Founder and Executive Director, Oceanswell; Adjunct Research Fellow, The Ocean Institute, University of Western Australia

Read Asha's full profile

Networks

The Board acts as a hub for a network of scientific institutions. The institutions will represent diverse voices from all geographic, linguistic, and age groups with a particular focus on developing countries. Network institutions will be associated and collaborate with the Board.