Scientific justice "a need to global peace, human security"
In a message to the fifth International Conference of the Global Alliance Against Scientific Apartheid, held under the theme For Justice in Science and Technology in the New Global Order, President Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that global justice could not be achieved without fairness in the production, access to and benefits of scientific and technological advances.
He said scientific and technological apartheid went beyond denying certain nations access to research facilities and achievements. It also encompassed the discriminatory use of scientific capabilities and research resources to establish monopolies, create dependency and widen disparities between countries.
Such practices, the president said, contradicted the cross-border nature of science and the ethical principles governing scientific research.
President Pezeshkian stressed that science must not be used as an instrument of domination or superiority, but should serve humanity by addressing shared challenges, narrowing development gaps, improving public welfare and strengthening peace and understanding among nations.
He identified sanctions, threats and the assassination of scientists, researchers and attacks on scientific and research institutions as among the most alarming manifestations of scientific apartheid.
Referring to the killing of Iranian scientists during recent imposed wars, the president said protecting the lives and security of researchers and safeguarding scientific environments had become an important international concern.
Scientists, regardless of their nationality, religion or political geography, are assets of the entire human community, he said, adding that attacks on them damage humanity’s scientific heritage and its capacity for progress.
President Pezeshkian said Iran, relying on its scientific and academic capabilities, had consistently supported international cooperation, the exchange of knowledge and technology, and equitable access to scientific achievements for all nations.
The experience of Iran, he added, had demonstrated that external restrictions could not extinguish a nation’s determination to pursue knowledge, innovate and contribute to scientific production.
However, sustainable scientific progress requires constructive engagement and the removal of unjust barriers within the international science and technology system, he said.
“Lasting peace is impossible without justice, and global justice cannot be achieved without justice in the production of, access to and benefits from science and technology,” President Pezeshkian emphasized.
He described the conference, organized by the Islamic World Peace Forum with the participation of Iranian universities and research institutions, as a valuable opportunity to expand scientific dialogue and develop practical solutions.
MNA