Science, Technology, and Innovation: Accelerating Social Progress

The UN Secretary-General’s 2025 report on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) for Sustainable Development (A/80/221) reviews how STI contributes to sustainable development, poverty reduction, resilience, and the 2030 Agenda. The report also highlights UN system activities (CSTD, UNCTAD, WIPO, UNIDO, UNESCO, ITU, regional commissions, etc.) and provides recommendations for strengthening global cooperation and governance.
STI is crucial in addressing “polycrises” such as those related to health, climate, inequality, and digital divides, emphasizing the need for resilience and the inclusive governance of emerging technologies. STI can also be a powerful tool in empowering women, youth, and marginalized groups.
The report emphasizes the growing importance of data for development, noting its potential to inform policy, strengthen sustainability, and build resilience, while also pointing to challenges of access, privacy, bias, and environmental costs. It underscores the need for stronger global cooperation to expand infrastructure, enhance skills, boost research and development, and enable fairer technology transfer. Digital diversification is reshaping economies by creating new opportunities in fields such as telemedicine and e-commerce, yet also carries risks of widening inequalities unless accountability and inclusive governance frameworks are put in place. To prepare for future transformations, the report highlights the importance of combining technology foresight with assessment, enabling both short-term responses and long-term planning to anticipate risks, ethical dilemmas, and opportunities.
The report establishes goals for each region of the world, precisely outlining areas of expertise:
- Africa: New innovation hubs, entrepreneurship initiatives, STEM education
- Asia-Pacific: Inclusive business models, ASEAN digital frameworks
- Europe: Innovation governance networks, AI trade regulation, digital product passports
- Latin America & Caribbean: Regional digital agenda (2026), innovation for inclusive development
- Western Asia: Digital inclusion, e-commerce acceleration, IP support for SMEs, Arab digital agenda (2023–2033)
The report also conducts a review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), presenting findings and takeaways from the meeting. It concludes that progress is uneven, and thus the digital divide remains. The report also establishes that there must be stronger governance on AI, digital inclusion, and sustainability. These inputs will feed into the 2025 GA review.
STI is central to achieving the SDGs, but there of course risks from inequalities and unregulated technologies that must be taken into consideration.
Click here to read the full report.