Science diplomacy
Science diplomacy is the use of research exchange and evidence-based dialogue to help institutions in different jurisdictions understand shared risks and cooperate on them. The Global Risks Forum (GRF) practises it through dialogue, its councils and the Diplomacy Nexus, one of its seven established specialist platforms, which works on scientific, policy and institutional dialogue across jurisdictions. GRF is not a diplomatic mission and holds no diplomatic status. This page explains what science diplomacy means in GRF's work and where its limits lie.
- 01In briefThe short answer
- 02PracticeThree ways GRF supports science diplomacy
- 03TypologyThree faces of science diplomacy
- 04Assessment bodiesIntergovernmental assessment as a model
- 05TopicsWhere science diplomacy is most useful
- 06BoundariesScience diplomacy is not diplomacy by GRF
- 07RelatedEvidence and counterparts
GRF · Institution · service level R0
The short answer.
Science diplomacy is the use of research exchange and evidence-based dialogue to help institutions in different jurisdictions understand shared risks and cooperate on them. GRF practises it through dialogue, its councils and Diplomacy Nexus; GRF is not a diplomatic actor, and the evidence it brings comes from its publishers.
Water security in the Horn of Africa.
Rivers, lakes and how far each division sits from mapped surface water, shown for the Horn of Africa as an example geography for this subject.
Three ways GRF supports science diplomacy.
Research exchange
Researchers and public institutions from different jurisdictions compare methods and evidence on a shared question, with each source's authority retained.
Evidence in the room
Dialogues on basins, grids, health or digital systems start from shared evidence rather than positions.
The Diplomacy Nexus
A specialist community that applies named methods to cross-jurisdictional dialogue and publishes what it finds.
Three faces of science diplomacy.
The Royal Society and AAAS framework of 2010 distinguishes science in diplomacy (evidence informing foreign policy), diplomacy for science (agreements that make research cooperation possible) and science for diplomacy (research cooperation as a channel between states). Long-running examples include CERN, the Antarctic Treaty System's science-based consultative process and the joint scientific bodies of transboundary river commissions.
Intergovernmental assessment as a model.
| Body | Subject | Distinctive feature |
|---|---|---|
| IPCC | Climate change | Summaries for policymakers approved line by line by governments |
| IPBES | Biodiversity and ecosystem services | Recognition of Indigenous and local knowledge alongside science |
| Science-policy panel on chemicals, waste and pollution | Chemicals and pollution | Established in 2025 under UNEP |
| Independent International Scientific Panel on AI | Artificial intelligence | Created by the General Assembly in 2025, reporting to the Global Dialogue on AI Governance |
GRF applies the same separation in its own work: evidence prepared independently by GCRI, discussed by institutions in GRF dialogues. Depth is on Diplomacy Nexus.
Where science diplomacy is most useful.
- Transboundary water, where upstream and downstream states need a common picture of flows and use.
- Interconnected power systems, where reliability depends on shared operating assumptions.
- Cross-border health, where surveillance and laboratory capacity cross jurisdictions.
- Digital and AI governance, where systems and rules differ across borders.
- Global commons, such as the ocean and the atmosphere, that no state governs alone.
Science Diplomacy is also a proposed chapter within GRF's specialist network; chapters are described as in development until established.
Science diplomacy is not diplomacy by GRF.
| GRF does | GRF does not |
|---|---|
| Convene researchers and institutions across jurisdictions | Negotiate on behalf of any state |
| Publish dialogue records and analyses with their limits | Issue positions binding any government |
| Support evidence exchange under agreed rights | Hold diplomatic status, privileges or immunities |
| Bring evidence from its publishers into dialogue | Present findings as official positions of participants |
Terms used on this page.
Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Science diplomacy | Scientific cooperation, advice and shared evidence used in relations between states, and diplomacy used to enable scientific cooperation. |
| Track two dialogue | Informal dialogue among non-official participants, such as experts, that can explore options officials cannot. |
| Confidence-building measures | Voluntary annual declarations by BWC states parties on facilities, research and outbreaks, intended to increase transparency. |
Where this page's references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
Questions and answers.
Is GRF a diplomatic actor?
Can government officials take part?
How is evidence shared across jurisdictions?
Where can I follow the Diplomacy Nexus?
Around GRF.
Start with an enquiry.
The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.