Executive Report of the Scientific Advisory Board on:
Horizon Scanning 2026
Scientific and technological change is now a structural driver of global risk, opportunity, and power. Advances in artificial intelligence, data systems, biotechnology, energy, and environmental science are increasingly embedded across sectors, directly affecting the UN’s ability to deliver on peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.
The Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board’s 2026 Horizon Scanning draws on input from 192 scientists and technologists across regions and disciplines, drawing on experts from the 11 scientific networks affiliated with the Board. It provides an assessment of where science and technology are most likely to intersect with UN priorities over the next 12 months and five years. It is not predictive; it is designed to support strategic awareness, institutional preparedness, and anticipatory governance.
Key messages:
? The primary shift is from discrete tools to system-level infrastructures, particularly in AI.
Data-driven systems and AI are moving from experimentation to institutionalization across research,
government, health, and environmental governance, raising accountability, transparency, and
capacity challenges.
? Governance gaps are the dominant source of risk. Regulatory lag, unequal access, opaque
systems, misuse of data, and declining trust are the dominant concerns as capabilities outpace
governance.
? Science and technology remain essential enablers of UN priorities. Science and technology,
especially AI and biotechnology, can accelerate achievement of climate and sustainability goals,
health security, food systems, and climate resilience—if governance and access are equitable.
? There is a clear expectation for UN leadership in a limited number of priority areas. Experts
prioritize UN leadership in five areas: global norms and governance; equity and scientific capacity;
science-policy interfaces and epistemic governance; science for sustainability and climate; and
science for health, resilience, and human security.
Publishing date: January 2026