IATT Background Paper 1: Mapping of UN Technology Initiatives

This paper provides a brief summary on technology-related initiatives that are currently in place in different institutional settings in the UN based on two UN surveys in 2015 by the Inter-agency Working Group on a Technology Facilitation Mechanism. It also examines the institutional arrangements, coverage, functions and the inter-linkages and coordination between these initiatives. It finds that these initiatives differ greatly in terms of their approach, content focus, target groups, working methods, and size. Hence, when mapped against these dimensions, gaps and “fragmentation” in the technology capacity development system become apparent. It highlights the urgent needs of better coordination within the UN system which may require a platform for content coordination and integration and a multi-stakeholder forum to assure the contribution of coordination within UN system to the desired outcomes.