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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development
Events

7th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Thu 05 May 2022, 9.00 am — Fri 06 May 2022, 6.00 pm
Conference Room 2/Virtual UN DESA

Related

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Background

The seventh annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) will be held from 5 to 6 May 2022. The Forum will be convened by the President of ECOSOC H.E. Mr. Collen Vixen Kelapile who has appointed two co-chairs - H.E. Mr. Kennedy Godfrey Gastorn, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations, and H.E. Mr. Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations. As per its mandate, the Forum will be organized by the UN interagency task team on STI for the SDGs (IATT), convened by UN-DESA and UNCTAD, and the 10-Member Group of high-level representatives appointed by the Secretary General.

As in previous years, the theme of the STI Forum will be closely aligned with that of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), to be held from Tuesday, 5 July, to Thursday, 7 July, and from Monday, 11 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, but have an exclusive focus on the role and contributions of science, technology and innovation. The HLPF in 2022 will review in-depth Sustainable Development Goals 4 on quality education, 5 on gender equality, 14 on life below water, 15 on life on land, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals. The upcoming HLPF will take into account the different and particular impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across all Sustainable Development Goals and the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Goals.

Accordingly, the theme for the STI Forum 2022 will be: “Science, technology and innovation for building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

As a further point of reference, resolution A/RES/76/213 on “Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development” was adopted by the Second Committee of the General Assembly on January 7th, 2022. The resolution contains guidance for the work of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism.

Kennedy Godfrey Gastorn
H.E. Mr. Kennedy Gastorn

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations, Co-Chair of the 2022 STI Forum

Sergiy Kyslytsya
H.E. Mr. Sergiy Kyslytsya

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations,Co-Chair of the 2022 STI Forum

Member States Briefings

1st Meeting (05 May 2022):


2nd Meeting (05 May 2022):


3rd Meeting (06 May 2022):


4th Meeting (06 May 2022):


 

Sti Forum background decoration
Credit to Grace Chenxin Liu for her design and creation of this artwork

 

Announcements

Download the outcome document here

 

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), with support from UNOSD is organizing a three-day Workshop on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to help prepare for the 7th STI Forum in May 2022. The meeting will be held on MS Teams at 7-10am EST, each day from 7th to 9th March 2022.

The meeting will focus on how best to prepare sessions of the 2022 STI Forum by mobilizing STI stakeholders, so as to make an effective contribution to the 2022 HLPF, and more broadly to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. For more details, see here

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The following science-policy briefs been prepared by TFM stakeholders. They have passed the peer review and were selected for inclusion in the IATT report 2022. The briefs are currently only available under the "documentation" tab, but will shortly be cross-linked here as well.  Note: The views expressed in this brief are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its senior management.

 

Side Events 

4 May

 

4 MAY 2022
Time Session Name Organizer Video Recording
6:00am Role of Green Business Incubator in Developing Green Startups & SME’s for the Climate Resilience GreenTech Foundation Bangladesh  
7:30am Partnerships for Innovative STEM Teaching & Learning Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_xoASLVK7Y
7:30am Open Science Promoted Quality Graduate Education in Global South  China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zluyOadEt-g
7:30am Innovative Technology Solutions to Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas Region United Nations Environment Programme & Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia  
9:00am Research on innovation as opposed to research in innovation: transforming innovation education for a better tomorrow AfricaLics https://youtu.be/9XZgPQuQOPo 
9:00am Using a comparative risk framing to strengthen policy decisions for sustainable development Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh-wEJMm6zU 
9:00am Metaverse Mindset Project  Gratia Christian College UNPRME  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOh5y1uG5qw

https://youtu.be/DYUqLnPYi5c

https://youtu.be/iSbxfyBgtQA 

https://youtu.be/7onP3KvrU_Q
9:00am Building Back Better with Games, Hands-on Activities, STI for Sustainability and 2030 Agenda  HaritaDhara Research Development and Education Foundation (in special consultative status with the UN ECOSOC since 2018) https://youtu.be/La1aZt8gZDI 
9:00am Saving the Banana: Innovative and Multi-Stakeholder Approaches to Confront the Global Challenge of Fusarium Wilt, Tropical Race 4  Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture  
9:00am Launch of a Global Network of AI Centres of Excellence for Sustainable Development Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the UN  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSca6amLeyU 
9:00am Science for SDG 14, the Early Careers perspective  RedLAtM (Regional Representative LAC Region-MGCY) & LACEMOS  
9:00am Green hydrogen windows of opportunity for developing countries  UNCTAD  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puI7mw7Mcn0
9:00am Masterclass on how innovations can transform the path to the 2030 Agenda United Nations World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator  
9:00am Innovation for Sustainability in Our Common Agenda: Partnering With Business to Turbocharge SDG Action United States Council for International Business - USCIB   
9:00am Youth-led Solutions for a Better Food Future World Food Forum (by FAO's Youth Committee)  
10:30am Progress through Partnerships: How can private sector partnerships assist in achieving SDG 2 (zero hunger)? Baha'i International Community  
10:30am Why we need local social goods to achieve the Goals - lessons from the World Social Capital Monitor 2021 Basel Institute of Commons and Economics  
10:30am Indigenous Knowledge Research Infrastructure:
A Novel STI Solution to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
CANEUS, FILAC and UNOOSA  
10:30am DigitalArt4Climate & Blockchain4Climate – Developing the Ecosystem & Digital Skills for SDGs aligned Creative Economy and Climate Entrepreneurship International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI GloCha  
10:30am Innovation for emergency connectivity International Telecommunication Union (ITU)  
10:30am Operationalizing Sustainable Development and Science and Technology Cooperation:  Global Strategies The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine  
10:30am Just and inclusive clean energy transition in Africa: partnerships with non-State actors for technological and innovative solutions  The Permanent Mission of Italy to United Nations  
10:30am Applying Diverse Knowledge Systems to Address Systemic Risks of Rapid Technological Change United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction   
10:30am Strategies to Strengthen National and International Policies in Education and Health Women's Health and Education Center (WHEC)  
10:30am XPRIZE Rainforest: Innovating, accelerating and scaling biodiversity technologies for a more resilient future XPRIZE  
12:00 Nuclear Technologies in the Fight against Marine Plastic Pollution: An IAEA Initiative IAEA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnaquxyVlyI 
12:00 Transforming education for a human-centred approach to STI and SDGs  International Labour Organization (ILO); Work Stream 10 of IATT https://ilo-org.zoom.us/rec/play/FmUgS-fOm0iZ2sO96tJWPvfVXDGmuOb9--oXUsmPEkcVvSw5SORZa7D6FFRzkr13VQl4LtvnYeyAyi5b.LJvYQTzvt21H9B1E?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=B6o5CdCySLyOhcacjJnVHA.1652736123465.32dfbf15a83c13f739137c1238777006&_x_zm_rhtaid=946 
12:00 The key role of digital technologies in developing countries to enhance climate action and SDG achievement United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)  
1:30pm The role of women-led global co-op networks in addressing gender equality amid COVID-19 and beyond Impact Arts Society   
6:00pm Nigeria Youth Environment Dialogue 2022 Community Action Against Plastic Waste (CAPws)  
Video recording:

STI Forum: DigitalArt4Climate & Blockchain4Climate


 

5 May

5 MAY 2022
Time Session Name Organizer Video Recording
6:00am The Role of E-Learning as a Catalyst for The Human Capital Development in Support of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa Department of Science and Innovation  
7:30am Digital Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: A New Era of Inequality? Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvdoNz9zPek
7:30am Session on the Synergistic Cooperation Promoting City’s Sustainable Development with S&T Science-Innovation Institute of Sustainable Development, Longgang, Shenzhen  
7:30am Open Science and Digital Innovation in SDG  Education, Research and Science Policy Interfaces  University College Dublin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Qiws-B6OQ&t=29s 
7:30am Engineering Resilience in Disaster Risk Management for Sustainable Development World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R7t5ibS06g&t=24s
7:30am ICTs for Well-Being, Inclusion and Resilience: WSIS Cooperation for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) / UNGIS - ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD, UNDP  https://itu.zoom.us/rec/play/rL-nLJH-tht4bY0zzuHZjBvFfE9XFoPQp9wGMcrMB6YQ5kqNd25iR8bybrbaYujj45aokc2-GkvVe9Nw.Ar9JDm2tHhjofjvg?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=j64p1rIyQ72REVx6hFHxOA.1652118293122.4f0698e56f7408005da5f6e932c5be59&_x_zm_rhtaid=546 
12:00 noon Digital Equity for Women’s Economic Agency Digital Leadership Institute  
12:00 noon Data 4 Education: How to accelerate the use of data to improve quality education within vulnerable populations towards the SDGs Major Group for Children and Youth, Children Youth International  
12:00 noon PHG DigiWomen Skills Training for Rural Women (In partnership with  GIZ - Ghana, Eskills for Girls Team) PHG Health Foundation Africa ( HealthTechHub)  
12:00 noon Partnerships for tourism and innovation: start-ups accelerating the achievement of the SDGs World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fyGmyKRE9k 

6 May

6 MAY 2022
Time Session Name Organizer Video Recording
6:00am The Responsible University – Science for the Future. 
A German -  South African University Partnership for Sustainability 
Aalen University  
6:00am Beyond COVID-19, Innovative Education Creates Future Wellbeing International Mayors' Communication Center (IMCC)  
6:00am Building People-Oriented Cities Through Digital Transformation International Telecommunication Union  https://zoom.us/rec/play/Tqhx2q49QWR7B394Gdui0JkG2QokoSa1ey9lzccXPd9p0d3uUy3apFjMlFyZncspV8btkOMZR7t97hAY.sy_5ZbLwuSRUbCSz?autoplay=true&startTime=1651831277000 
6:00am Integrated life and physical sciences to address biodiversity challenges globally ISC  
7:30am Connecting the unconnected: the role of MSMEs for inclusive digital transformation International Trade Centre  
7:30am Partnerships to advance public sector scaling of health innovation – Insights from collaborative learning with government and a new Action Lab for East Africa  Results for Development   
7:30am Digitalization to achieve the SDGs: promoting more effective and coherent UN support through mapping and initiatives on country level The Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAKa2Haa4AQ 
7:30am Asia Pacific Water Summit Youth Forum UNISC International  
7:30am The Gender and Energy Compact: Catalyzing action for a just, inclusive and gender-responsive energy transition United Nations Industrial Development Organization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op89t_37VGM 
7:30am Building Structural Equity and Inclusion in Open Scholarship Practices United Nations, Department of Global Communications, Dag Hammarskjöld Library  https://youtu.be/wldBhMS94EU 
12:00 noon Tackling the Digital Divide: Partnering for access, skills and empowering girls  International Organisation of Employers https://youtu.be/fA8Qxqt8lnc
12:00 noon Preparing the Future Engineering Workforce to Achieve the SDGs Through Multi-Stakeholder Engagement. Major Group for Children and Youth/Children and Youth International https://asme.zoom.us/rec/play/s7Jqf4431LaGsFwMmhBUjocYOKJQwcdn6kqfkwOA3e37Q5YyKbDTgHPRJHmObopKC-JsDSb5yzoIaI0U.MMfSLlm3KnKHKPYP?startTime=1651852821000&_x_zm_rtaid=HJtt3Yp5Th2UTykAl7pxHg.1652185027501.7b9917eb027efd41102dd35042311dfb&_x_zm_rhtaid=279 
6:00pm Gender Equality in the Era of 'Human Augmentation': Technology Transfer for Conservation, Quality Education & Gender Equality - Case Studies from the Global South International Curricula Educators Association https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DVdAhAtX1k 

Side events are hosted by independent organizers and do not reflect the views of the United Nations.

The Virtual Innovation Exhibit showcases burgeoning innovators who are addressing sustainability issues in local communities, particularly by developing and scaling up innovations that address multiple SDGs and/or that address the needs of vulnerable communities. Innovators will describe their cutting-edge initiatives and share insights from their experience implementing development solutions in areas including economic development, vulnerable populations, environment, agriculture, and space applications across 17 countries. They will discuss opportunities for these new technologies to support sustainable and inclusive recovery from the pandemic towards a brighter future.

This year’s exhibit showcases some of the winners from various competitions and challenges throughout the UN System, including: 

 

2022 Winners

TofaraOnline : Digital Marketing and Innovation Consulting Trust – TofaraOnline is  a digital Marketing and Innovation Consulting Trust and our main aim is to empower MSMEs and women to adopt digital marketing and emerging technologies for international Trade.

Polycare – Polycare innovates in the fields of construction materials, building processes and architecture. The research led to the invention of a polymer concrete building block, the Polyblock, by substituting filler materials such as precious sands that are important for our ecosystems and replacing cement as a binder with a very high CO2 footprint. Goal 9 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Kenya Space Agency – Project MIDST seeks to develop technical capacity to assist National and County Government organizations in Kenya to use open source tools and data to enhance the utilization of Earth Observation and related space-related technologies to inform the decision making process. MIDST focus on developing products based on pilot studies together with relevant stakeholders across three areas; forests, urbanization and Floods/Landslides.

Goal 9 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 11 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 15 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 16 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Rotamundos – In Rotamundos we are building the new consciousness tourism; a tourism that emphasizes culture, heritage and environment value, supporting local communities and minimizing environmental impacts. Digitalization allows small and independent establishments to obtain tools that help them optimize resources, hyper-connect them and allow them to open up to a borderless market in which to offer their services.

Goal 8 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 12 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Pebble Labs Inc. – Pebble Labs’ platform technology, Directed Biotics™, delivers  safe and effective biological solutions to sustainably protect crop yields and quality by targeting formidable pests and diseases. The key to our Directed Biotics™ technology is delivery: our microbes are precision engineered to safely and effectively provide RNA-based protection against the diseases and pests we are targeting.
Bondi Bio – Bondi is a pioneer in Solar biomanufacturing - combining cyanobacteria and synthetic biology to capture and convert CO2 into valuable Natural Products: reducing atmospheric carbon and offering an elegant solution for high value compounds and the generation of substantial revenues. Goal 12 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 15 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) – CubeSat Quetzal-1, the first Guatemalan satellite, operated 211 days in space. 84,775 of its data packages were received on Earth. Its impact goes beyond the technical information it provided since it opened the aerospace engineering field in Guatemala. Goal 9 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 17 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Roverlabs – Our product(Mono-1), the Low cost 3-D printed myoelectric-hand made locally, will give them the confidence and help to eradicate negative perceptions and bias of the society towards them.

Goal 9 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

ViaVii – ViaVii is a central hub which provides customers with opportunities to engage in original local experiences and activities. ViaVii utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct sentiment analyses which are then used to personalize offerings and provide each customer with the help they need throughout their unique journey.

Goal 8 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 9 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 11 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 12 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 17 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

RepoSand Glass Recyclers Limited – RepoSand Glass Recyclers is located in Nairobi, Kenya. Our solution addresses two problems: waste glass in minefields and highly-priced construction aggregate. The project reduces environmental waste and benefits waste collectors (bottom of the pyramid community dwellers) by increasing their revenue as it adds to their revenue channels.

Goal 8 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 9 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 11 | Department of Economic and Social AffairsGoal 12 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

 

United Nations Innovation Competitions

Please see below a list of some of the UN-organized innovation competitions and challenges taking places from 2020 to 2022.

Organizer

Competition Name

ESCAP

Call for Research Proposals: Evidence-based Financial Solutions for Women Entrepreneurs

Policy Innovation Challenge for Youth

IDB

Smart Challenge: Jesuitic Routes with the support of UNWTO

IDB & World Tourism Organization

Beyond Tourism Innovation Challenge (2020)

ILO

ILO Just Energy Transition Innovation Challenge

IMF

Climate Innovation Challenge

ITC

ITC Youth Ecopreneur Awards

EU Cities Award for Fair and Ethical Trade

ITC, Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA), African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank), UNECA, UNDP

AfCFTA Youth Creative Competition

ITU

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)Prizes

WSIS Healthy Ageing Innovation Prize

WSIS Forum 2022 Special Prize on Indigenous Languages

ITU, UNESCO, & other stakeholders

WSIS Forum 2022 Hackathon on ICTs for Indigenous Languages

UN Innovation Network

Climate Smart Cities Challenge

UNDESA

Science Technology and Innovation Forum Innovation Competitions

UNDP

Ocean Innovation Challenge

UNDP Accelerator Lab Ghana

UNDP Accelerator Lab Ghana COVID-19 Innovation Challenge

UNDP Accelerator Labs, Japan Cabinet Office, and UNDP Japan Unit

Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge

UNECA with support from Mastercard Foundation

ORIGIN Innovation Challenge

UNFCCC, UN-Habitat

Innovate2030 – SDG11

UNICEF, Giga

Blockchain-based Software Solutions to Build Capacity and Empower Communities

UNIDO

UNIDO Global Call for Innovative Solutions and Technologies vs. COVID-19 and beyond (2020)

Global Call for Innovative Solutions in Cleantech and Sustainable Land Management (2021)

UNIDO, UNFCCC, & UNCCD

UNIDO Global Call for Innovative Solutions in Cleantech and Sustainable Land Management (2021)

UNOOSA

Access to Space for All

UNOPS

Global Innovation Challenge 2020

Global Innovation Challenge 2022

UNOSSC & ITU

Global South COVID-19 Digital Innovation Challenge

WFP Innovation Accelerator

WFP Innovation Challenge 2021

World Bank

Agriculture Risk Innovation Challenge

Global Tech Challenge

Mission Billion Challenge Calls for Innovation to Strengthen Inclusion and Empower World’s Invisible Billion

World Food Forum

World Food Forum Startup Innovation Awards

World Trade Organization

Digital Champions for Small Business

 

World Tourism Organization

Healing Solutions for Tourism Challenge (2020)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Global Startup Competition (2020-2021)

Rural Tourism Competition (2020)

Global Rural Tourism Competition (2021)

Global Gastronomy Tourism Competition (2020)

Global Gastronomy Tourism Competition (2021)

Hospitality Challenge

Inspiration Africa Branding Challenge (2020)

Smart Solutions for Smart Destinations Challenge (2020

 

The meetings (opening/closing, Ministerial session and Thematic sessions) and special events will be held in a hybrid format and live streamed both on UN WebTV and the Whova platform. All other meetings (Roundtables, pre-events, exhibit, and side events) will only be available on the Whova platform. 

To access the 2022 STI Forum virtually through Whova, please register here:

Register Now on Whova

Registered online participants will be able to: 

  • Browse the interactive programme, view speaker profiles and plan their personal agenda;
  • Watch the livestream of all sessions and share comments/questions in the chat box;
  • Visit the virtual exhibition booths and ask questions to learn more;
  • Check out the various side events taking place from 4 May to 6 May 2022;
  • Follow relevant community board topics and participate in the discussions;
  • Network virtually with attendees of similar interests and exchange contacts with those they choose;
  • Receive event updates such as last-minute session changes from the organizers.

After registration, participants will have full access to the Whova platform via this link: https://2022stiforum.events.whova.com/

Or, you could also get the Whova App to join the Forum on the go!

Get our official event app
For Blackberry or Windows Phone, Click here
For feature details, visit Whova

 

For more information, including details related to in-person participation in the hybrid sessions, please read the "Participant guide"

To learn more about event access through Whova in general, please refer to the Video Guide for Whova Attendees

Preparatory briefings to UN Member States and Stakeholders in the run-up to the STI Forum 2022:

First briefing to Member States on 18 January 2022


 

Briefing to Stakeholders on 1 April 2022

Second Briefing to Member States on 31 March 2022


Science

Related Goals
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Technology

Related Goals
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