The Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) aims to identify gaps and promote partnerships as part of efforts to achieve a greener world by 2030 .
In his message to the participants of the Forum, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, underlined how the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the importance of science, technology and innovation for human well-being and survival, as well as the need for greater cooperation global.
Her address was delivered by Maria Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (VILLAGE).
The pandemic sparks innovation
On the pandemic, the UN chief said not only has a vaccine been developed in record time, but the crisis has also spurred innovation in drugs and communication technologies. digital.
At the same time, scientific discoveries and collaborations have accelerated and new modes of service delivery have proliferated.
The Secretary-General said this progress holds promise for collective challenges beyond the pandemic, including limiting climate change, reducing inequalities and “ending our war on nature”.
In early March, representatives of UNICEF and WHO visited hospitals in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to monitor the progress of COVAX vaccination against COVID-19.
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Billions of people still excluded
Mr Guterres noted, however, that billions of people around the world still remain largely excluded from the benefits of the information and technology revolution and that the pandemic has only exacerbated existing technological divides.
“It is essential that we work together – across borders, across sectors and across disciplines – to make science and technology work for all,” he said.
“Multi-stakeholder cooperation will remain the key that will help us achieve the sustainable development goals, tackle climate change, end biodiversity and pollution crises and tackle our other common challenges,” the chief stressed. of ONU.
Technology for development
The STI Forum, now in its sixth edition, is part of the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism, an online platform that helps countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Through this platform, UN entities, Member States, civil society, the private sector, the scientific community and other stakeholders share information, experiences, best practices and policy advice.
Last June, the Secretary-General also launched a roadmap for digital cooperation. Its eight goals include achieving universal connectivity by 2030, given that about half of the world’s population, or three billion people, mostly women, do not have access to the internet.
