On the recommendation of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, at the end of 2024, the project "From the Arctic for the Arctic: Science Diplomacy for Sustainable Future of the Region and Its People – FORAS" was submitted for acceptance as endorsed initiative within the framework of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, held under the auspices of UNESCO in 2024-2033. It was approved and received UNESCO project status in mid-2025.
FORAS aims to organize a series of online sessions with scientists, experts, and residents of the Arctic region to discuss the most important development issues in the Arctic through the prism of science diplomacy, as well as scientific, expert, and local knowledge. Online sessions with scientists, experts, practitioners, and local residents of the Arctic region will be organized on a regular basis as means of raising the level of scientific, expert, and general knowledge, and sharing experiences in ensuring the long-term sustainable development of the Arctic. The project will promote the development of international and interregional dialogue among Artic scientists, experts, and residents, and will facilitate the involvement of non-regional participants in the Arctic dialogue from the members of CIS, BRICS, SCO, and other countries.
On August 25, 2023, at the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, a Resolution was adopted that proclaimed 2024–2033 as the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development and called for its implementation within the framework of existing structures and available resources in order to provide humanity with a unique opportunity to utilize the crucial role that science plays in ensuring sustainable development and in solving the complex problems of our time.
The Decade aims to integrate science into the sustainable development process, promoting scientific knowledge, innovation and technologies needed to solve environmental, social and economic problems.
Initiatives supported under the Decade include:
About the International Science Decade
You can participate in planning of our sessions. To understand which topics related to Arctic development and the well-being of its residents are of greatest interest to our experts, panelists, and residents of the region, and which require larger discussion, we have opened a feedback form (anonymous, 1 question, 1 minute to complete), where anyone can propose a topic for a new online session.