Scientist Diplomats or Diplomat Scientists: Who Makes Science Diplomacy Effective?
| Published date | 01 November 2018 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12520 |
| Date | 01 November 2018 |
Scientist Diplomats or Diplomat Scientists:
Who Makes Science Diplomacy Effective?
William R. Moomaw
Tufts University
Abstract
Successful science-based policies build upon the pillar of sound science, while meeting the needs of diverse societies in an
economically and politically feasible manner. How do scientists and diplomats interact most productively too achieve a
successful outcome?
Policy Implications
•Successful science diplomacy requires negotiators to have a sound understanding of underlying science.
•Successful science diplomacy requires input from scientists who understand and can contribute to the policy process.
•Science alone does not drive successful policy outcomes.
•Diplomacy that ignores science is unlikely to achieve an effective outcome.
Science pervades many aspects of diplomacy. Science and
technology define the realities of outcomes for international
agreements concerning health, weapons control, trade,
oceans, fisheries, climate change and environment, to name
a few. Successful science- based treaties build upon the pil-
lars of sound science and economics, while meeting the
needs of diverse societies in a politically feasible manner
(Moomaw et al. 2017).
But creating treaties that depend upon science is chal-
lenging. Most traditionally trained diplomats lack a back-
ground in science, and few scientists have the practice and
experience of policy and diplomacy needed to be effective.
So what is required to create effective, scientifically
grounded international agreements? Does it require scien-
tists to become diplomats (diplomat scientists), or diplomats
to develop deep scientific knowledge (scientist diplomats)?
In this article, we examine both ends of the ‘science-diplo-
macy bridge’through the cases of stratospheric ozone
depletion and global climate change. As these examples
reveal, the secret to successful outcomes appears to lie in
the synergy that emerges when skilled diplomat scientists
and informed scientist diplomats develop some of the capa-
bilities and skills of the other.
Ozone depletion
The science community initiated the impetus for interna-
tional action to control stratospheric ozone depletion in the
late 1980s. Many scientists contributed to an understanding
of the ozone problem, and three of them, Sherwood Row-
land (US), Mario Molina (Mexico) and Paul Crutzen (the
Netherlands), received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for
their work. The American scientists convinced two states
and the US Congress to unilaterally ban the ozone depleting
substances used in spray cans, and the ban became part of
the 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments. This action along with
the banning of some ozone depleting substances for speci-
fic uses by several other countries set the stage for the first
universal environmental treaty a decade later.
The development of the treaty was the work of a diplo-
mat scientist, Mostafa Tolba; an Egyptian biologist, who had
transitioned into an international policy role as the Executive
Director of the United Nations Environmental Programme
(UNEP). Tolba played a leading role in several other global
treaties including the Convention on Biodiversity and the
Basel Convention on Toxic Substances. He proved to be a
highly skilled self-taught diplomat as well as a well-
respected scientist. In the ozone case, Tolba was able to
bridge the gap between developed and developing country
governments by making sure that the development con-
cerns of all parties were met and that financial assistance
for developing countries was provided to replace ozone
depleting substances.
An American diplomat, Richard Benedick, Undersecretary
of State for Political Affairs, played an essential role in assist-
ing Tolba during the anti-regulatory presidential regime of
Ronald Reagan. He developed a deep understanding of the
science of ozone depletion, and was a central creator of the
regulatory framework of the Vienna Convention (1985) and
Montreal Protocol (1987). He convinced the American gov-
ernment to support the ozone regime (Benedick, 1998). This
treaty regime is now considered among the most successful
international treaties ever crafted. Richard Benedick summa-
rized the importance of science by pointing out that for the
©2018 University of Durham and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Global Policy (2018) 9:Suppl.3 doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12520
Global Policy Volume 9 . Supplement 3 . November 2018
78
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