Advancing science, technology and innovation for SDGs

An objective of the session is to explore policies and actions for advancing the science, technology and innovation for achieving the SDGs, as envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda launched a UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM), which comprises a United Nations Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (IATT), a collaborative Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum), and an online platform as a gateway for information on existing STI initiatives, mechanisms and programs. The TFM now facilitates multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships through the sharing of information, experiences, best practices and policy advice among Member States, civil society, the private sector, the scientific community, UN entities and other stakeholders. The co-Chairs of the STI Forum will present the mandated Summary of the "Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs", the theme of which in 2018 was “Science, Technology and Innovation forsustainable and resilient societies – Focus on SDGs 6, 7, 11, 12 and 15”. The TFM 10-Member Group of high-level representatives will further engage in the discussions.

Proposed guiding questions:

How can the science-policy interface be most effectively strengthened during the implementation of the SDGs? How can the UN and partners increase engagement in the 2030 Agenda from science communities, funders, academia and private sector?
What opportunities arise from working on interactions among SDGs and among their targets? How will science-based policy making and innovative technology solutions help to enhance the cobenefits and mitigate the tradeoffs among individual goals and targets?
What evidence-based economic and finance tools are available to advance the scientific and technological transformations toward sustainable development? What are the obstacles to Annotated Programme as of 3 July 2018 8 adopting them? How can they be directed towards addressing inequities between countries; and across genders and population groups?
How can the UN and partners encourage a frank and transparent consideration of the challenges associated with the impact of rapid technological change on the achievement of the SDGs? How can stakeholders help ensure that these technologies are rolled out so as to safeguard equity and ensure that no one is left behind?
How can we mobilize science, technology and innovation to improve the lives of the furthest behind?

Chair:

H. E. Ms. Inga Rhonda King, Vice-President of ECOSOC

Presentations:

H.E. Mr. Toshiya Hoshino, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN, Co-Chair of the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals
H.E. Mr. Juan Sandoval Mendiolea, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN, Co-Chair of the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals

Moderator:

Ms. Norma Munguía Aldaraca, Director General for Global Issues at the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Mexico

Panellists:

Ms. Endah Murniningtyas, co-chair of the group of scientists for the Global Sustainable Development Report, Indonesia
Mr. Carsten Fink, Chief Economist, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Mr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic, IIASA Deputy Director General and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Professor Emeritus, Vienna University of Technology, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) (Science and Technology Major Group)