ICGEB partners with the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), to participate in a range of G20 activities in Pretoria from 18-23 September 2025, advancing solidarity, equality and sustainability.
South Africa has assumed the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024 to November 2025, with Minister Blade Nzimande, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation of South Africa, chairing the G20 Research & Innovation Working Group (RIWG), the inter-governmental track responsible for cooperation in STI. This global platform drives STI for solidarity, equality, and sustainability, encompassing several activities and thematic focus areas.
ICGEB Director-General Dr. Lawrence Banks participated in the 3rd G20 Initiative on the Bioeconomy (GIB) Meeting, which advances sustainable, inclusive and innovation-driven growth through the bioeconomy. In his presentation, Dr. Banks highlighted ICGEB’s approach to promoting the Bioeconomy in Africa and suggested actions for the future with key discussion points including
- Training and Capacity Building,
- Leveraging South-South Cooperation,
- Equality and Access to Technology and Subsequent Ownership,
- Appropriate Technology Transfer, and
- Assistance with Regulatory and Production Capacity.
Another key activity of the RIWG includes the empowerment of women in STEM and accelerating action across the G20. ICGEB participated in the Women and Girls Side Event: Closing the gender gap in Science, Technology and Innovation on 20 September 2025. In partnership with DSTI, ICGEB WE-STAR Fellows from Cape Town, Dr Sabrine Hdira and Dr Chiamaka Okeke, represented the Fellowship Programme, interacting with close to 200 young South African STEM learners. Tunisian researcher, Dr. Hdira participated in the Roundtable discussion ‘STEM Begins Early’, adding her reflections on STEM education in Tunisia and the value of scholarships and exchange opportunities in strengthening education pathways. ICGEB remains committed to initiatives aimed at empowering women and girls in the field of STI through actions that include capacity building, information sharing, and raising awareness.
As a knowledge partner, the ICGEB participated in the 3rd RIWG meeting, which took place from 21-22 September 2025. G20 member states, guest countries, multilateral organisations, knowledge partners and global science partners worked together over 2-days, participating in dialogue, looking at the future of science, technology and innovation for development. The RIWG’s work culminated with the G20 Research and Innovation Ministerial Meeting on 23 September 2025, with the opening address by the Hon. Minister Nzimande. ICGEB together with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) presented on the deliverable ‘Strengthening Global Science Capacity to better understand Africa’s Human Genetic Diversity’, emphasising that understanding human African genetic diversity, the base of human diversity, is important to solving global health problems. The Ministerial meeting concluded with the issuance of the Chair Summary.
ICGEB’s participation as a G20 knowledge partner of the South African G20 Presidency has profiled the organisation and its capacities with other G20 partners, international organisations and global science entities. ICGEB continues to champion global scientific diplomacy through its key and impactful instruments of action and remains committed to foster advanced education, address scientific problems of regional and global interest and to promote international scientific cooperation.
