Science

Natural sciences

The vision of the natural sciences sector is that science should be used creatively for the benefit of society through the pursuit of expertise and international collaboration in engineering, nature & ndash; and environmental sciences. The main priority for the 2006-2008 biennium is water and related ecosystems. Other priorities are: oceans, building capacity in engineering sciences, formulating science policy, promoting efficient maintenance, promoting the application of science and technology in a sustainable way, using and managing natural resources and alternative energy sources such as solar & ndash; and wind energy.

Water dam in Iraq
© UNESCO
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Social – and human sciences

The social – and human sciences sector plays a role in understanding and interpreting the social, cultural and economic environment. In these areas, the sector conducts research, identifies and analyzes trends and makes proposals for actions to be taken. UNESCO has assigned itself a number of tasks to close the gap between what is and what should be. The social – and human sciences sector translates these tasks into its own themes: determining what should be (ethics and human rights), anticipating what could be (philosophy and future research) and investigating what is (empirical social science research).