Pretoria: South Africa is set to host the concluding G20 Chief Science Advisers Roundtable (CSAR) of its presidency on 21 September 2025. The event, organized by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in collaboration with the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI), will bring together science advisers and their counterparts from G20 member and guest countries, as well as international organizations.

According to African Press Organization, the CSAR follows a technical meeting in Pretoria in April 2025, which produced a draft zero Outcome Statement. This statement has been the basis for negotiations at three virtual intersession consultation meetings held in July, August, and early September 2025. The roundtable will focus on addressing shared scientific priorities and finding collective solutions to global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and the slow progress of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The theme for this year's roundtable is "Equity-based science, technology and innovation for inclusive human development and global sustainability." The meeting will prioritize the development and promotion of a global STI agenda to support SDG implementation and facilitate a just and inclusive energy transition. It also aims to create a global knowledge system that is equitable and accessible to all.

The roundtable will consist of two sessions. The first session, scheduled for 09:00 to 13:00 at Maslow Time Square Hotel in Pretoria, is a formal, closed session for Chief Science Advisers and their equivalents from G20 and guest countries. The session will focus on discussing and endorsing the Outcome Statement. The second session, an open knowledge-sharing session, will take place from 15:00 to 17:00 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria. This session will highlight the importance of STI advisory mechanisms and capacity-building platforms for the G20, Africa, and developing countries.

Additional participants in the open session will include representatives from science advice institutions such as the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA), selected STI policy institutions, universities, and research councils. The CSAR 2025 is positioning South Africa as a key player in high-level global discussions on science, technology, and innovation (STI).