President Ader addresses WSF plenary in Budapest

Budapest (MTI) – Attempts to address global challenges at a higher level than before could give us a chance to resolve those problems, President Janos Ader told a plenary session of the World Science Forum in Budapest on Saturday.

Referring to climate change, Ader told the session held in Parliament that it was up to science to “speak a voice the world will listen to” and give emergency signals if necessary.

“The power of democracy, enduring patience, new ideas, perseverance in educating people and tremendous work” are needed to evade “the greatest disaster facing mankind”, Ader said.

“The whole of our future depends on what level of consciousness we can see, promote, and interpret the challenges of our planet,” the president said.

“Your task is to describe the problems through scientific means, give signals of the danger and propose solutions to eliminate them. Politicians are to ensure sufficient focus to science, consider the position of scientists and assist in addressing those problems at a national level,” Ader told participants.

Addressing the plenary session, Irina Bokova, director general of UNESCO, said that it is science that can serve as an interconnector between the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability.

Science is about progress, about comprehending the world around us, but it also inspires us to share our knowledge in a broad circle in order to solve problems, she said and called for deeper and broader cooperation transcending disciplines and borders.

The World Science Forum (WSF) was held between Nov. 4 and 7, bringing together representatives of over 100 countries.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters