Scientific and Technological Community Major Group

The concept of “Major Group” was formalized by Agenda 21, the outcome document of the 1992 Rio Summit. The document identified nine sectors of civil society as the main channels through which groups of citizens can organize, and can contribute to policy and implementation of international efforts to achieve sustainable development. The sectors recognized are:
(i) Women
(ii) Children and Youth
(iii) Indigenous People
(iv) Non-governmental Organizations
(v) Local Authorities
(vi) Workers and Trade Unions
(vii) Business and Industry
(viii) Scientific and Technological Community
(ix) Farmers.  

Today, within the context of Agenda 2030, more sectors are represented within the category of “Other Stakeholders”, such as Persons with Disabilities, Aging, Volunteers and Education and Academia.

The Major Group system is a participatory mechanism that has been mainly employed in stakeholder engagement for sustainable development, for example at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and its successor the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) for Sustainable Development. This stakeholder engagement approach is also utilized in other UN processes, such as through the Major Groups and other Stakeholders for UN Environment; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Constituencies; and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction Stakeholders Group.

The group fulfils the functions described above by:

• Soliciting and gathering input from subject matter experts and regional groups, as well as individual partner organizations and international research programmes, to ensure that all relevant scientific knowledge is made available to support policy formulation and implementation;
• Providing scientific input through position papers, policy briefs, written and oral contributions;
• Liaising with the UN Secretariat and responding to UN calls for experts on topics related to sustainable development;
• Facilitating the participation of scientists – in accordance with UN rules in terms of attendance – and providing them with speaking opportunities (e.g. delivering statements on behalf of the STC MG and/or speaking at side events, roundtables etc.) at the HLPF;
• Organizing side events, roundtables and workshops jointly with the scientific community;
• Sharing relevant information on UN sustainable development fora and related Major Groups activities with the community through newsletters, social media and ISC/WFEO websites.

The Major Group draws its expertise from the vast membership of ISC and WFEO, which spans the natural and social sciences and engineering. It also mobilizes scientific expertise from international research programmes such as Future Earth, Urban Health and Wellbeing, and Integrated Research on Disaster Risk. We also engage with individual scientists on specific sustainable development-related matters.