SCIENCE AGAINST POVERTY · “Science against Poverty” Conference under the Spanish Presidency

The “Science against Poverty” Conference represents the most visible action during the Presidency Term under the Inclusion heading. It aims to convey a clear message to society on the contribution of science and innovation to the fight against poverty and exclusion. In February 2010 the Ministers for Research provided ample support and compromise to advance towards a more responsive science under the Donostia Declaration.The Conference will gather scientific, political and societal stakeholders with the aim of creating a forum for a focused debate on the role science can play in the fight against poverty and exclusion and of suggesting policy recommendations for a more effective design of European and National research and innovation policies. Its conclusions will reach the agenda of the Competitiveness Council of Ministers of the EU on 26 May 2010.The topic of the conference covers multiple facets of knowledge and action: some as urgent as global access to innovative medical technologies and medicines and the fight against the digital gap, but also an understanding of the social dynamics that cause poverty and the mechanisms to create and maintain economically sustainable communities, without overlooking how to involve all the players in this challenge and the promotion of social entrepreneurship.Next to plenary sessions of a more political nature, the Conference will include both thematic sessions (food and nutrition; dynamics of poverty; technological gap; energy; environment and climate change; water and sanitation; health) and cross-disciplinary sessions (stakeholders involvement; education and training; innovative solutions; gender issues; social sciences and poverty; sustainable business).Witin this general objective, the “Science against Poverty” conference will aim to assure political continuation with the Trio Presidencies and beyond, as well as further communication of the conference results to the public.