Health Desk :
International collaboration in science, technology and innovation are pegged to drive sustainable development, but policy needs to ensure this is so.
Science, technology and innovation (STI) policies will play a key role not only in post-Covid-19 recovery plans, but also in the decade of action to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Shaping these future policies is a key focus of the UN’s Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) virtual meeting from 10 to 12 June.
The online meeting is a condensed edition of the annual session of the CSTD, which acts as the UN’s focal point for the analysis of science, technology and innovation for sustainable development.
Ministerial and high-level discussions will take place during the three days, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“Science, technology and innovation provide a shining light to help us navigate and recover from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Shamika N. Sirimanne, head of the CSTD Secretariat.
“We’ll use this meeting to discuss how we can foster international collaboration in science and technology, not only to tackle and recover from the virus, but also to address other pressing sustainable development concerns, which range from climate change to inequality,” she added.
The United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD)
Commission on Science and Technology for Development, twenty-third session [virtual meeting]
Coronavirus (Covid-19) : News, analysis and resources
Ms. Sirimanne said STI-related activities should be incorporated in recovery packages. Not only can this spur economic activity, but it can also enhance the resilience of countries to cope with future crises.
Technological change for sustainable development
The CSTD has consistently emphasized that technological change is essential to achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic provides daily examples of how harnessing frontier technologies can make the difference between life and death.
However, despite the well-documented advantages that frontier technologies offer in solving a vast range of problems, for many people around the world, their benefits remain a distant prospect.
