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Leveraging technology and innovation to build sustainable and resilient societies

Science, technology and innovation can be leveraged as tools to effectively design a resilient future while leaving no one behind. They can promote inclusiveness, participation and transparency with the view to fostering sustainable and resilient societies.

This year, under the theme ‘Innovative communities: leveraging technology and innovation to build sustainable and resilient societies’, the 2018 ECOSOC Integration Segment took place from 1 to 3 May at UN Headquarters in New York. It brought together key stakeholders – Member States, the United Nations system, other international organizations, the private sector, academic and civil society organizations – to assess the status of integration and coherence of actions towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Four areas were covered during the ECOSOC Integration Segment:

  • Discuss how policymakers can use integrated policy approaches to enhance resilience and inclusion to achieve the 2030 agenda at all levels
  • The meaningful exchange of best practices should be undertaken on how technology and innovation can be leveraged to effectively design a resilient future
  • Showcase policy instruments and mechanism that support risk management
  • Discuss how technology and innovation can support efforts to strengthen the resilience of public policies and governance structures with a view of sustainable and resilient societies

Mr. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, opened the session: ‘the world is still facing economic uncertainty, rising inequalities, and the increasing impact of climate change’, and technology and innovation are ‘two key enablers to build and maintain resilient societies’.

Mr. Kamoliddinzoda Ilyos Jamoliddin, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Tajikistan emphasized the importance of innovation and technology to water issues. Many central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, face the threats of climate change and related natural disasters and financial losses. Therefore, he called for international cooperation to leverage the benefits of innovation and technology and tackle these tasks to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

“New advances in science and technology hold immense promises for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Liu Zhenmin stated in his opening remarks to a session of the intergovernmental body overseeing the UN’s development work.

Firstly, climate change is one of the greatest threats of our time. We need clear strategies for moving away from carbon-intense growth, towards more sustainable and resilient pathways for development.

Secondly, rising inequality and exclusion are undermining the sustainability and resilience of societies and eroding human rights. Technology can help provide jobs to disadvantaged groups in societies.

Thirdly, more than one-third of the world population now lives in an urban area, but cities face a range of challenges, from air pollution to youth insecurity and social exclusion. Technology can help make our cities more inclusive and sustainable by facilitating new transportation systems and improving management of natural resources.

Lastly, environmental degradation continues especially in water degradation and biodiversity loss. Technology facilitation mechanism should aim to provide a platform for discussing and accessing information, knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned.

“To truly leverage the benefits of science and technology for sustainable development, we need to prioritize solutions that are pro-poor and equitable,” Mr. Liu said. “Only in this way can we ensure that no one is left behind.”

Four keys principles were listed:

  1. Any efforts should be locally contextualized to leverage technology and innovation in support of communities.
  2. Technology and innovation need to be inclusive and leave no one behind.
  3. Taking integrated approaches is of utmost urgency as crises and shocks are increasingly complex.
  4. Building capacities and institutions for anticipating risk and for planning and strategic foresight to effectively leverage technologies.

Related information

Source: UNSDN