8th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

2-5 May 2023. 8th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

• Download the full programme here # 14 p.

In line with recent mandates and as in previous years, the STI Forum facilitated discussions on science, technology and innovation cooperation in support of the SDGs. In addition to providing the mandated inputs for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to be held from 10 to 19 July 2023, the Forum took a broader look at the contribution of STI to the achievement of all the SDGs in recognition of the September mid-term review of SDG progress.

Accordingly, the theme for the STI Forum 2023 was: “Science, technology and innovation for accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”.

STI Forum Day 0

02/05 Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa Day 2023

• Thematic Session 1: Mobilizing and Engaging Diaspora for STI in Africa
• Thematic Session 2: STI for High Productivity and Economic diversification in Africa
• Thematic Session 3: Role of Youth and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in STI

See dedicated PAEPARD blogpost + recording

With the transcript of the presentations by 

• Mr. Alessandro Rainoldi, Head of Territorial Development Unit, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
• Ms. Shamika Sirimanne, Director, Division on Technology and Logistics, UNCTAD

STI Forum Day 1

03/05 Side Event - Enabling Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) for developing STI roadmaps for SDGs in the context of post COVID-19

See dedicated PAEPARD blogpost + recording

03/05 Session 1: Strengthening trust in science and technology

• See concept note: Session 1 # 5 p.
• Science-policy briefs have been prepared by TFM stakeholders on emerging science and technologies 

Scientific advisory commissions. One institutional tool for enhancing trust in science are the scientific advisory commissions, science academies, and committees. These commissions are often responsible for evaluating scientific evidence and providing recommendations on various issues related to science and technology. By providing independent and objective assessments of scientific evidence, scientific commissions help to ensure the accuracy and reliability of scientific findings. This helps to build trust in the scientific process and the validity of research findings.

Open science. Another tool for enhancing credibility of science and increasing science diplomacy is open science. When scientific research is conducted in a transparent and collaborative manner, it can enhance the credibility of scientific findings and promote greater confidence in scientific conclusions.

Citizen science. In addition to open science, direct public engagement with, and participation in, scientific processes and innovation, can potentially enable greater trust in science and technology. 

Highlighted speakers:

• Willem Fourie et al., Using machine learning to improve the science-policy-society interface on the SDGs in South Africa, University of Pretoria, South Africa

STI Forum Day 2: Session 4 + 5

04/05 Presentation of the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023

The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (produced every 4 years) will be launched in September 2023.

• The 2023 Report will build on the 2019 Report providing evidence that can help decision-makers to accelerate action and overcome impediments that stand in the way of progress on sustainable development.
• The focus will be on accelerating transformation through important entry points and enabling science to support this acceleration.

04/05 Session 4: Breaking down barriers- closing the gender gap in science and technology

This session highlighted examples and lessons learned from gender and STI initiatives that are helping to move the needle towards making innovation ecosystems more inclusive and representative and explore what is needed to scale up and accelerate further progress

04/05 Session 5: Global research cooperation and funding- sharing knowledge through new partnerships

• See concept note session 5 # 4 p.
• UNESCO (2021). Science Report: The race against time for smarter development,  
• SDG Research Mapping Initiative (University of Southern Denmark, Aurora / Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Auckland, and Elsevier 

This session explored the status of global research cooperation and funding - especially in the Global South – for the achievement of the SDGs. It will bring together key public and private funders of research and development (R&D) and other key R&D actors.

Sources like UNESCO and WIPO offer important insights into overall R&D investments and priorities for both developed and developing countries. In general, SDGs related to health, climate change, and energy tend to receive more R&D investments. For example, investments in health research (SDG 3) are substantial, driven by both public and private sectors. 

The biggest R&D donors vary depending on the sector and the SDGs being considered. However, some of the largest R&D investors globally include the United States, China, Japan, and the European Union. They countries contribute a significant portion of global R&D funding across various sectors, including those related to the SDGs

• Public R&D funding, typically provided by governments and international organizations, is essential for supporting basic research, capacity building, and projects with high social and environmental impact but lower financial returns.
• Private R&D funding, predominantly driven by the business sector, is crucial for translating research findings into marketable products and services. The private sector accounts for approximately two-thirds of global R&D spending, with significant investments in fields such as information and communication technologies, biotechnology, and clean energy. However, private R&D funding is often concentrated in areas with higher commercial potential, potentially overlooking research areas with broader societal benefits

Panelists:

• Ms. Katja Becker, President, Global Research Council; and President, Deutsche For schungsgemeinschaft, Germany
• Ms. Ana Cristina Amoroso das Neves, Head, Internet Governance Office, FCCN, Unidade de Computação Científica da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal; and Chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development
• Mr. Kazuhito Hashimoto, President, Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Mr. Fulufhello Nelwamondo, CEO, National Research Foundation of South Africa

Lead discussants:

• Ms. Charlotte Watts, Professor, Chief Scientific Adviser and Director for Research and Evidence in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Offices, United Kingdom
• Mr. Marco Antonio Zago, President, FAPESP – São Paulo Research Foundation, Brazil
• Ms. Kendra Sharp, Head, Office of International Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation, USA

STI Forum Day 2: Session 6 + 7

04/05 Session 6: Forging an equitable, digital future for all

• See concept note Session 6
• Report of the Secretary-General: Road map for digital cooperation: implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation (June 2019) 
• Scretary-General’s report titled Our Common Agenda (September 2021) 
• UN AI Actions (September 2021) 
• Digital Public Goods Alliance – Five-year strategy 
• Standards & Digital Transformation: Good Governance in a Digital Age

This session explored a way forward for forging an equitable, digital future for all. Rapid digitalization is enhancing the way we live and work in a myriad of ways. It has the potential to open-up opportunities that we may not even have imagined yet. However, gaps in connectivity and access to digital infrastructure within and across countries remain a serious concern.

• When data and AI are leveraged for good by ensuring they are safe and beneficial for all, and their value is shared among and within countries, they can rapidly accelerate progress towards all 17 SDGs. For example, machine-learning algorithms are able to sift through and interpret massive amounts of data from various sources to carry out a wide range of tasks. 
• They can analyze high-resolution images from satellites, drones or medical scans to improve responses to humanitarian emergencies, help tackle climate change, increase agricultural productivity, enhance production efficiency in manufacturing, or help doctors identify and treat illness. 
• The transformative power of AI and such intelligence technologies, however, also comes with challenges, ranging from issues of transparency, trust and security, privacy and biases, to concerns about displacing jobs and exacerbating inequalities and injustice. 

Panelists:

• Ms.Hermina Johnny, Founder, Artemis Foundation
• Ms. Alison Gillwald, Executive Director, Research ICT Africa, an African digital policy and regulatory think-tank based in South Africa
• Mr. Chris Sharrock, Vice President of United Nations and International Organizations, Microsoft
• Mr. Henrik Cox, Head of Product, Conservation X Labs

Lead discussants:

• Ms. Mi Ock Mun, President of the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI).
• Mr. Robert Bertram, Chief Scientist, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID
• Ms. Shamika Sirimanne, Director, Division on Technology and Logistics of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Mr. Amir Dossal, President and Chief Executive Officer, Global Partnerships Forum

STI Forum Day 2: Side events

04/05 Building Bridges with Technology: The Role of Enhanced Equitable Connectivity in Achieving the 2030 Agenda (STI Forum Side Event)

• See concept note of this side event # 1 p.

Real world experiences in bridging the digital divide in the Dominican Republic and in Niger, highlighting (i) connectivity as a form of aid, (ii) technology in increasing the efficacy of aid delivery, and (iii) access to information as a human right.

• H.E. Ambassador Joan Cedano, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic 
• Mr. Ibrahima Guimba Saidou, Director General of the National Agency for the Information Society in Niger (ANSI) 
• Ms. Gabriela Alvarado, Representative and Country Director of the Dominican Republic, WFP
• Pre-recorded videos of field operations from WFP and local partners in the Dominican Republic and Niger

04/05 Roundtable on Generative AI for the SDGs: Friend or Foe, Hope or Hype? (STI Forum Side Event)

• See concept note of this side event # 2 p.

Generative AI, a subfield of AI that can create novel content or ideas, can be a powerful tool for advancing the United Nations' SDGs. It has the potential to inform new and creative solutions to complex problems but is also raising many concerns. This roundtable will present a landscape overview of generative AI, including benefits and risks of its use and the current UN response to the rapidly evolving technology.

• Ursula Wynhoven, ITU Representative to the UN 
• Ambassador Cornel Feruţă, Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations
• Guilherme Canela Godoi, UNESCO, Chief of Section, Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists 
• Robert Opp, UNDP, Chief Digital Officer -
• Amira Dhalla, Consumer Reports, Director of Impact Partnerships and Programs 
• Rami Amin, World Bank, Project Lead, Technology Policy, Strategy, and Finance 
• Dan Altman, Google, Lead, Technology and Society 
• Cass Matthews, Microsoft, Office of Responsible AI

04/05 Implementing national STI4SDG roadmaps – capacity building and Partnership in Action (STI Forum 2023 Special Event)

This special event explored means and ways to support the implementation of national STI4SDGs roadmaps and highlight national pilot projects.

Panelists: 

• Ms. Lotta Tähtinen, Interim Chief, Integrated Policy Analysis Branch, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) 
• Mr. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, the Research and Information System 
• Mr. George Essegbey, Chief Research Scientist, Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI), Ghana 
• Mr. Solomon Benor, CEO for Research and Community Engagement Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ethiopia 

High-level respondents: 

• Mr. Robert Kayinamura, Minister Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda to the United Nations 
• Ms. Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist FAO

Interactive discussion: 

• Mr. Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga, Professor of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) at MIT 
• Mr. Alfred Watkins, Founder and CEO, Global Solutions Summit 
• Ms. Angela Sarcina (see picture), Project leader for STI for SDGs, Territorial Development Unit, Joint Research Centre, European Commission 
• Mr. Fernando Santiago, Industrial Policy Officer, UNIDO 

Transcript of the presentation by Ms. Angela Sarcina @53:00

At the Joint Research Center, we have been discussing and adjusting our own methodology to address key sustainability challenges and advance on the achievement of the SDGs and embed the SDGs into STI policies. In this reflection, we've been contributing a lot to the work of the Interagency Task Team, especially on the guidebook for the preparation of STI for SDG messages, roadmaps, but also the global pilot program supporting Serbia and Ukraine. 

We developed a reflection framework that includes questions for policymakers that need to take into account when they develop and adjust to their own their own STI policies. We developed this together with 30 policy makers practitioners and involving 12 regions in Europe and beyond. 

The experience we gained in the context of the collaboration with the Interagency Task Team, together with our internal experience was translated into a new project that we launched in collaboration with the Directorate General of the European Commission for International Partnerships (DG INTPA). This project is specifically focusing on STI for SDGs roadmaps in Sub Saharan Africa. 

• We are now working with six countries: Rwanda, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia and Seychelles. The project will contribute to harness the STI potential and deploy the relevant frameworks and actions to address the specific place based sustainability challenges. We need to take into account the specificities of each country, region and at the sub national level. 
• Over the past months we have been exchanging a lot with this six countries and we we have learned a lot. Some challenges are emerging, especially as regards to the future implementation of the STI for SDGs roadmaps. There is a need to strengthen the local capacities: not only for the design of the roadmaps, but also for the implementation phase. 
• We recently did a training workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, 

We are collaborating a lot with the Interagency Task Team workstream 6 on capacity building. 

• This working group has delivered training workshops in more than 75 countries involving more than 1200 participants. This is a successful experience that should be further strengthened and further deployed in more regions of the world. 
• We find that the mobilization of resources, expertise and key stakeholders should be done at the very early stages of the development of the STI for SDGs roadmaps. 
• For this reason we are collaborating very closely with the EU delegations in the six countries but also with the United Nations, the African Union and and other local and regional stakeholders. 
• We are planning to involve the countries of the global talent program that already developed the STI for SDGs roadmaps. 

Initiatives like the partnership in action or the Coalition for Africa that was launched two days ago, have the potential to deliver on these objectives. The roadmaps are a true opportunity in terms of the mobilization of investments and for the advancement of more sustainable work. 

STI Forum Day 3: GSS 2023

05/05 Global Solutions Summit 2023

• See concept note GSS 2023 # 3 p.

GSS2023 addressed following question: How can Africa achieve the SDGs by leveraging the diaspora, youth, and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area to:

1. accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable, inclusive technology and 
2. develop value-added activities in Africa’s manufacturing, agriculture, and service sectors? 

This focus was explicitly designed to complement the discussions at the Fifth African Science, Technology and Innovation Forum 2023 which convened in Niamey, Niger on February 26-27, 2023 and the 1st STI in Africa Day which will convene at the UN on May 2.

Thematic Session 1: Technology Transfer and Deployment for Value Addition in African Agriculture

• Ms. Freda Korarome, Coordinator of Ecoforestry, Division of Natural Resources, Eastern Highlands, Provincial Administration, Papua New Guinea 
• Prof Clapperton Chakanetsa Mavhunga, MIT 
• Mr. Taffere Tesfachew, Acting Managing Director, UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries or Ms. Federica Falomi, Economic Affairs Officer, UN Technology Bank 
• Mutale Chilangwa, Director of Business Development, Heifer International 

Thematic Session 2: Technology Roadmaps and Needs Assessments For Technology Deployment and Sustainable Development

• Professor Deepakraj Divan, Director of the Center for Distributed Energy at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Chair, IEEE Empower a Billion Lives Competition 
• Mr. Surya Raghu, Founding Partner, ETCube International 
• Prof Paul S. Chinowsky, Director, Resilient Analytics 
• Mr. José Ramón López-Portillo Romano, Chairman, Q Element Ltd., Advisor to Mexico Government, member of the UN SG’s 10 Member Group for the TFM

Extracts Science-policy briefs 

• Salome M. Guchu et al, Leveraging on Emerging Technologies Landscape to Bolster Kenya’s Innovation Ecosystem, Inter-University Council for East Africa
• Crystal H. Brown, Sustainable Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation in Africa: Combining Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, United States
• Felipe de Andrade et al., Roadmap for a Role for Intellectual Property Offices in the Governance of Green Innovation, University of Antwerp/KU Leuven, Belgium