Summary
The first annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI Forum) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) convened by the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), concluded its work on Tuesday at UN Headquarters in New York.
During the day, representatives of UN Member States and Major Groups and Other Stakeholders heard presentations from panelists and engaged in an interactive dialogue on four topics:
- Creating shared value: How do we make it work?
- Ministerial Dialogue: Towards a roadmap of effective science, technology and innovation policy frameworks
- The Experience of Youth in using Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development
- The Way Forward: Adding Value through the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum
In the closing session, Co-Chair Macharia Kamau (Kenya) said we will have to work harder over the next few months to maximize the potential of this Forum over the next 14 years, including through intersessional interactions, given the huge agenda ahead. He expressed hope that the Forum will be able to feed into the work of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian (US) said that achieving the SDGs requires better integration of science, technology and innovation, involving a vast number of stakeholders. STI enabling environments are critical to achieve the SDGs over the next 14 years, he added. This STI Forum is “testable,” like scientific inquiry, and can be improved over time, he concluded.
ECOSOC President Oh Joon said it is time to make the Technology Facilitation Mechanism operational and beneficial for all, and called for everyone’s continued cooperation to mobilize great minds and build lasting partnerships. He said we need to strengthen STI capacity in every country, create innovative knowledge societies that use scientific evidence to inform policy, make advances that greatly facilitate technology transfer and diffusion, and support social technologies to change mindsets and behaviors.
ECOSOC President Oh Joon closed the Forum at 5:45 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web updates and a summary report from the 1st annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum). Our summary report is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Pam Chasek
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.
Session 5: Creating Shared Value: How Do We Make It Work?
Moderator Romain Murenzi, 10-Member Group for the Technology Facilitation Mechanism
Alexis Bonnell, Global Innovation Exchange, USAID
Tolullah Oni, Next Einstein Fellow
Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of Internet Matters
Zitouni Ould-Dada, United Nations Environment Programme
Gary Fowlie, International Telecommunications Union
Till Zbiranski, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Norine Kennedy, US Council for International Business
Lydia Cumiskey, Major Group for Children and Youth
Haidar Fraihat, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Session 6: Ministerial Dialogue: Towards a Roadmap of Effective Science,
Technology and Innovation Policy Frameworks
Session 6 Panel (L-R):
Megan Smith, United States Chief Technology Officer;
STI Forum Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian, Science and Technology Adviser to the US Secretary of State;
STI Forum Co-Chair Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations;
Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; and
Ligia Amada Melo de Cardona, Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dominican Republic.
Under-Secretary-General Wu Honbgo, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Megan Smith, United States Chief Technology Officer
Joe Mucheru, Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology, Kenya
Ligia Amada Melo de Cardona, Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dominican Republic
Dong Wu, UN Conference on Trade and Development
Marcela Angulo González, CORFO-Chilean Economic Development Agency
Asher Lessels, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Ambassador Wu Haitao, China
Naoto Kanehira, World Bank
Session 7: The Experience of Youth in Using Science,
Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development
Moderator Elenita Daño, Asia Director, Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group)
Hannah Herbst, 2015 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge winner
David Moinina Sengeh, Co-founder, Global Minimum Inc. and 2014 TED Fellow
Gusti Ayu Fransiska Dewi, Co-founder of Asia Pacific Youth Network on Climate Change and Field Coordinator, Climate for Rainforest Alliance
Linda Staheli, Founder and Executive Director, Global Co Lab Network
Mikaela Preston, University of Pennsylvania
Anthony Rock, President and CEO, Association of Science and Technology Centers
Session 8: The Way Forward: Adding Value through the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum
(L-R): STI Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian, US; STI Co-Chair Macharia Kamau, Kenya; and ECOSOC President Oh Joon
Benedicto Fonseca Filho, Vice-Chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development
Heide Hackmann, Co-Chair, 10-Member Group for the Technology Facilitation Mechanism
