✳️ At the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), Citizen Science played a prominent role in advancing global discussions on environmental resilience, climate policy, and participatory data. 

✳️ The UNEA-7 Green Room event, “People and Policy, Together: Building Global Citizen Science for a Resilient Planet,” brought together a diverse and engaged audience of over 180 participants – including global science leaders, youth delegates, and representatives of governments, NGOs, and international organisations.

📌 Hosted by the Citizen Science Global Partnership (CSGP) with strategic communication support from CS Zurich, the session highlighted the increasing importance of grassroots data and co-created knowledge in shaping international environmental policy. 

✨ It also showcased ongoing efforts to build shared infrastructures that enable Citizen Science contributions at scale.

Presenting RIECS-Concept: A New Horizon for Citizen Science in Policymaking

✅ A key moment in the session was the introduction of the Research Infrastructure for Excellent Citizen Science (RIECS-Concept), presented by Martin Brocklehurst, Chair of the CSGP Board of Directors. 

✅ RIECS-Concept was featured as a forward-looking example of how Europe is preparing to systematically support Citizen Science in policymaking, from data quality frameworks to stakeholder engagement mechanisms.

📌 For an audience comprising UN Environment Programme delegates and international decision-makers, the presentation underscored the value of structured, interoperable Citizen Science systems. 

✨ By showcasing RIECS-Concept, the event highlighted how regional infrastructure development can contribute to global ambitions for more inclusive and evidence-based environmental governance.

A Full Room, A Shared Vision

✳️ The session drew a packed audience – a testament to the growing recognition of Citizen Science as a vital component of global environmental action. Participants engaged actively with the speakers, reflecting a shared appetite for collaboration across sectors, regions, and disciplines.

Looking Ahead

✳️ The UNEA-7 Green Room event provided a powerful platform for strengthening ties between scientific communities, policymakers, and citizen-generated data initiatives. 

⚫ The visibility of RIECS-Concept in such a global forum reinforces the project’s mission: to create a robust, pan-European infrastructure that supports high-quality, impactful Citizen Science capable of informing policy at all levels.

✨ Planned next steps include continued engagement with international partners, dissemination of session insights, and the integration of learnings into ongoing RIECS-Concept development and communication activities ✨.

Published 2025-12-16

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