The Science Diplomat Playbook
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond technology policy and into the institutions that govern work, development and international cooperation.
Issue No. 7 | Monday, June 1, 2026
Good morning,
Welcome to The Science Diplomat Playbook, your Monday morning guide to what’s shaping the week ahead in global science diplomacy.
The lead
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond technology policy and into the institutions that govern work, development and international cooperation.
The shift is on display this week in Geneva, where delegates from governments, employers and workers are gathering for the 114th International Labor Conference. Discussions on artificial intelligence and platform work are expected to feature prominently as the International Labor Organization examines how technological change is reshaping employment, productivity and economic security.
Similar questions are surfacing elsewhere across the multilateral system. The United Nations is convening Behavioral Science Week, while the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia is hosting a regional forum on science and technology diplomacy focused on linking scientific expertise with sustainable development and public policy.
The ILO conference opens with Director-General Gilbert Houngbo’s report, A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work, which argues that the effects of AI will depend less on technology itself than on the institutions governing it. The report warns that AI could widen existing inequalities between countries and workers if international cooperation, skills development and labor protections fail to keep pace with technological change.
The report also highlights growing international concern over AI governance, arguing that no country can manage many of the technology’s risks alone and that cooperation will be necessary to prevent widening digital divides and a race to the bottom in labor standards.
The growing role of universities and research networks remains another defining feature of the science diplomacy landscape. Last week’s EUTOPIA Science Diplomacy Global Conference in Brussels emphasized efforts to move beyond research cooperation and engage more directly with international policy discussions.
This week’s agenda reflects how governments increasingly rely on scientific expertise not only to understand global problems but to help govern them.
Inside institutions
World Health Organization — Ebola response enters a critical phase
WHO and Africa CDC are scaling up efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak affecting Congo and Uganda under a joint Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan released last week. Over the weekend, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Bunia, the capital of Congo’s Ituri Province, as health officials work to expand testing, treatment capacity and community outreach in conflict-affected areas.
On-the-ground plans for the week involve deploying more epidemiologists, clinicians, logisticians and risk communication specialists to conflict-affected zones in Congo. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola for which no approved vaccine exists, is also becoming a test of international coordination as WHO, Africa CDC and partner organizations seek more funding, support clinical research and push back against border closures that could complicate containment efforts.
United Nations system — Behavioral science enters policy discussions
U.N. Behavioral Science Week brings together officials, researchers and practitioners to examine how behavioral evidence can inform policymaking, public services and international development programs.
Security Council watch
Colombia begins its month-long presidency of the United Nations Security Council with an agenda emphasizing multilateral diplomacy, climate-related security risks, mediation and protection of civilians. Colombian officials also highlighted the implications of emerging technologies, including cybersecurity and AI-generated disinformation.
This week’s schedule includes discussions on threats to international peace and security following reports that a Russian drone carrying explosives entered Romanian airspace, as well as a separate meeting on developments in Lebanon.
The agenda highlights how traditional security questions are increasingly intersecting with broader concerns involving climate resilience, emerging technologies and international cooperation.
The broader U.N. system also turns its attention to leadership and governance questions this week with the election of the president of the 81st General Assembly, the selection of five new non-permanent Security Council members and continuing discussions about the process for choosing the next secretary-general.
Across regions
Africa-Europe innovation cooperation
The IST-Africa 2026 Conference continues this week, bringing together policymakers, researchers, industry representatives and international organizations to examine innovation policy, digital transformation and implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.
Asia-Pacific open science cooperation and science diplomacy education
UNESCO hosts the latest session of its “Open Science: From the UNESCO Recommendation to Reality in Asia and the Pacific” dialogue series this week, bringing together policymakers, researchers and international organizations to examine implementation of regional approaches to open science, data sharing and scientific cooperation.
Separately, the Asia-Europe Foundation and partner institutions continue preparations following last month’s Science Diplomacy Education Symposium, which examined how universities are training future science diplomacy practitioners.
Science journalism and public trust
Researchers and journalists gather in Austria this week for a discussion hosted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, the Institute of Science and Technology Austria and the Complexity Science Hub examining the role of science journalism in maintaining accuracy, context and public trust amid increasingly complex policy challenges.
Signals
Artificial intelligence is becoming a multilateral governance issue
International organizations are increasingly treating AI as a question of labor standards, economic development, social protection and international cooperation rather than solely technology policy.
Universities are seeking a larger diplomatic role
Research institutions are becoming more active participants in international policy discussions, particularly around sustainability, security and scientific cooperation.
Science advice is becoming a governance tool
From behavioral science and climate resilience to labor policy and international security, institutions are increasingly seeking ways to integrate scientific expertise into decision-making processes.
On the calendar
June 1–12 — International Labor Conference (Geneva)
Delegates from the ILO’s 187 member nations meet to discuss artificial intelligence, platform work, social dialogue and gender equality in the world of work. → Program
June 1–5 — U.N. Behavioral Science Week (Virtual)
Officials, researchers and practitioners examine how behavioral science can inform public policy and international development. → Program
June 2 — Election of the President of the 81st U.N. General Assembly (New York)
Member nations elect the president of the next General Assembly session and vote on vice presidents and committee officers. The presidency rotates this year to the Asia-Pacific Group. → Details
June 3 — U.N. General Assembly election for Security Council seats (New York)
Member nations elect five new non-permanent members of the Security Council. → Details
June 4 — UNESCO Open Science Dialogue (Virtual)
Policymakers, researchers and international organizations discuss implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science across Asia and the Pacific. → Details
June 4 — Security Council briefing on Syria chemical weapons file (New York)
The Council receives an update on the status of Syria’s chemical weapons obligations. → Details
June 5 — UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Program Council (Paris)
The Council's 27th session concludes with discussions on international cooperation in water science, water resources management and capacity building. → Details
Closing
You’re reading The Science Diplomat Playbook, a weekly briefing mapping global science diplomacy.