The recent UNESCO General Conference has adopted a resolution to proclaim 2022 as the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD 2022).

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 resolution emphasizes that the Year 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.

The proposal for the Year was developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), under the leadership of Michel Spiro, IUPAP President, with the encouragement and support of the ISC and its many members, partner institutions and UNESCO.

The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is supporting the initiative for holding the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development and participating in the Year as one of the partners.

The next step is for the United Nations General Assembly to decide whether to proclaim 2022 as the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.

For more information on the international year, please see the website atwww.iybssd2022.org.