The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is one of the organizers of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD) and is a member of the IYBSSD 2022 Steering Committee. The decision to proclaim 2022 the Year of Basic Sciences was taken on 2 December by the UN General Assembly.

Together with JINR, the organizers of the event are such leading international scientific centres and communities as CERN, the International Union for Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN, Italy), and others.

The proposal for the Year was made at the 41st General Conference of UNESCO. It was developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), under the leadership of Michel Spiro, IUPAP President.

The Year would help highlight the crucial role of basic sciences for sustainable development, and emphasize their contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN for all countries of the world for the period of 2016-2030.

The IYBSSD 2022 might increase awareness of the critical function of basic sciences needs to be built amongst relevant stakeholders including policy-makers, business and industry, international organizations, philanthropic foundations, universities, teachers and students, media, and the broader public.

“We very much hope that scientists and all people interested in basic science will mobilize around the planet and take this opportunity to convince all stakeholders (the general public, teachers, company managers, policymakers, etc.) that through a basic understanding of nature, inclusive (especially by empowering more women) and collaborative well-informed actions will be more effective for the global common interest”, Michel Spiro said, President of the Steering Committee for the proclamation of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, commenting on its holding.