STI Forum

5th annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology

and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Background

The Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) to support the achievement of the SDGs. The TFM comprises an annual, collaborative Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum), an online platform, and the UN Inter-Agency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (IATT) together with a Group of 10 High-Level Representatives from Civil Society, the Private Sector and the Scientific Community (10-Member Group). The IATT is tasked to prepare the sessions of the STI Forum in collaboration with the “10-Member Group” appointed by the Secretary-General. The IATT is also tasked to support the development and operationalization of the TFM Online Platform.

At present, UN DESA and UNCTAD serve as the co-conveners and the Secretariat of the IATT and provide substantive and logistical support for the organization of the STI Forum.

The Co-chairs of the 2020 Forum, appointed by the President of ECOSOC Her Excellency Mona Juul are the Permanent Representatives of Ghana (Ms. Martha Pobee) and Israel ( Mr. Danny Danon) to the United Nations.

The Forum will provide inputs for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development ((HLPF) to be held from 7-16 July 2020. The theme of the 2020 HLPF has been decided as 'Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.' This connects the HLPF to the political declaration of the 2019 SDG Summit, which called for a decade of action to deliver the SDGs by 2030.

As in previous years, the theme of the 2020 STI forum will be ‘ Using science, technology and innovation for accelerating action and transformative pathways’, aligning the theme of the HLPF. Further, current discussions around the structure of the 2020 HLPF are converging towards a model that draws from the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2019, in particular its discussion of “entry points” and “levers” for action to capitalize the interlinkages across goals and targets.

The GSDR presented four levers of change (governance, economy and finance, individual and collective action, and science and technology) which can catalyze change across multiple SDGs by working through in six entry points: strengthening human well-being and capabilities; shifting towards sustainable and just economies; building sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns; achieving energy decarbonization and universal access to energy; promoting sustainable urban and peri-urban development; and securing the global environmental commons.

These entry points also indicate key areas for STI action in support of the achievement of the entire range of SDGs, in particular through addressing trade-offs, realizing synergies and accelerating progress towards the overarching objective of ‘leaving no one behind’.

As a further point of reference, resolution A/RES/74/229 on “Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development” was adopted by the Second Committee of the General Assembly on 26 November 2019. The resolution contains guidance for the work of the TFM.

Call for Innovations!

robot

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Global Innovation Exchange (GIE), has initiated its 2020 Call for Innovations to help implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The call, which is open from now until 9 March, 2020, is open for innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs and sustainability change agents worldwide to submit their workable solutions for SDG implementation, particularly through one or more of the six “entry points” identified in the Global Sustainable Development Report:

  1. Human well-being and capabilities
  2. Sustainable and just economies
  3. Sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition
  4. Energy decarbonization with universal access
  5. Urban and peri-urban development
  6. Global environmental commons

The selected innovators will be invited to participate in the 2020 STI Forum at UN Headquarters in New York. At the Forum innovators will have the chance to present their innovation and connect with a valuable network - other innovators, those who can support or scale up your innovations, and those seeking to utilize such innovations. 

This year’s Call for Innovations is hosted on a GIE Custom site and will use GIE’s innovation profiles as applications for the contest. As part of this partnership, all innovators who respond to the Call will be automatically featured on Global Innovation Exchange (GIE) which brings many other benefits such as: 

  1. Ability to showcase the innovation’s accomplishments and milestones, making it easier to tell the innovation’s story. Innovation profiles will be featured on GIE indefinitely here.
  2. Exposure to funders and other supporters through initiatives such as GIE’s Innovation Finder Service
  3. Opportunity to apply for other similar opportunities in the future using the same innovation profile.
  4. In 2020, GIE will launch automatic funding alerts based on your innovation profile details. For now, discover the funding opportunities that fit your innovation here.

The purpose of this Call for Innovations is to support existing innovative solutions by creating networks and communities among people who are developing technological innovations, those who can support or scale up such innovations, and those who need such innovations in order to implement the SDGs. Innovations are sought from diverse backgrounds, including women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and open collaborative networks.


Innovations can be submitted before 9 March 2020 via Global Innovation Exchange at https://stiforum4sdgs.globalinnovationexchange.org.

Call for Side Events

Side events will be organized on the margins of the 5th annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) in New York.

Theme

Side events should be closely related to the theme of the Fifth STI Forum.

The theme of the STI Forum is “Using science, technology and innovation for accelerating action and transformative pathways” which mirrors that of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) (on ‘Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development’ this year. The programme of the 2020 HLPF, among others, draws from the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2019, its discussion of “entry points” and “levers” for action to capitalize the interlinkages across goals and targets.

The GSDR 2019 presented four levers of change (governance, economy and finance, individual and collective action, and science and technology) which can catalyze change across multiple SDGs by working through six entry points: strengthening human well-being and capabilities; shifting towards sustainable and just economies; building sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns; achieving energy decarbonization and universal access to energy; promoting sustainable urban and peri-urban development; and securing the global environmental commons.

These entry points also indicate key areas for STI action in support of the achievement of the entire range of SDGs, in particular through addressing trade-offs, realizing synergies and accelerating progress towards the overarching objective of ‘leaving no one behind’.

Proposed side events should directly address at least one of the following guiding questions:

  1. What are some of the most important ways STI can contribute to strengthening human well-being and capabilities, and transitioning to sustainable and just economies?
  2. What are some of the most important ways STI can contribute to building sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns?
  3. What are some of the most important ways STI can support sustainable urban and peri-urban development?In some respects, the technologies for an energy transition already exist but the adoption of these technologies is unacceptably slow. In other respects, new or improved technologies may be needed. How can STI interventions address both challenges—the need to further disseminate existing technology and the need to invest in research and development for new technologies?
  4. What are the most promising STI solutions to safeguard the global environmental commons, and how can these solutions be scaled up?
  5. What institutional mechanisms are needed to further engage countries on STI for SDG roadmaps?
  6. What is the experience from your Conferences/Forums on supporting the science-based, solution-oriented, multi-stakeholder and collaborative approach of the TFM?
  7. What are the new disruptive technologies that could change the paradigm in the field and transform the way to reach the SDGs as a whole?
  8. What kind of financial instruments, investment funds and funding platforms are needed to stimulate institutional and other investors to finance science, technology and innovation for SDGs?
  9. What policies and strategies at the regional, national and institutional level can help encourage the participation of women, youth and other underrepresented groups in STI for the SDGs?
  10. Are there examples of successful initiatives for advancing open science?

Basic criteria for consideration

  • Any accredited and registered entity interested in organizing a side event on United Nations premises during the STI Forum can submit a proposal, but each organizer cannot be involved in more than one side event.
  • Priority will be given to side events involving multiple organizing partners in order to allow the participation of as many organizations as possible.
  • Given limited room availability on UN premises, organizers are encouraged to partner with UN missions to host side events.
  • Organizers should plan to hold their event in English or make their own interpretation arrangements for side events.
  • Side events must be open to all participants. Organizers of closed events or by invitation only events aiming for an exclusive audience are kindly advised to obtain alternative locations.
  • Side events should incorporate or focus on concrete success stories and examples of innovations, solutions and technologies applied that support the implementation of one or more SDGs.
  • Organizers are encouraged to make the side events as interactive as possible, including by allocating sufficient time for dialogue with the audience.
  • Inter-governmental meetings have first priority over other events or meetings. Side events may have to be cancelled at the last minute if an urgent inter-governmental meeting needs to use the conference room where the side event was already scheduled to take place.

Responsibility of organizers

  • Publicizing a side event is the responsibility of its organizers. The Secretariat will not produce fliers, distribute notices, or run other publicity efforts for side events.
  • It is the responsibility of the organizers to make their own arrangements regarding United Nations grounds passes for individuals, invited as speakers or guests.
  • All costs for side events, including room charges, or additional equipment and services, as may be requested by the organizers shall be borne by the organizers. It is requested that payments be made no later than 24 hours before the commencement of the respective side event.
  • The configuration of the rooms cannot be altered and the organizers are requested to remove all their materials after the conclusion of side events to avoid interrupting official meetings.
  • Only printed materials that are directly related to the agenda can be distributed during a side event or at any other time during the STI Forum. The Secretariat reserves the right to remove materials deemed inappropriate. The sale of printed materials or any goods on UN grounds during the side events or at any other time is strictly prohibited.
  • Side event organizers are advised not to set up displays or put up posters on meeting room walls during a side event or at any other time during the official meeting to avoid removal and loss of their materials.
  • Food and drinks are strictly prohibited in the UN meeting rooms. Activities that involve food or drink are only allowed in the designated areas outside the UN conference rooms and must be arranged directly with the UN Catering Service. The Secretariat will not facilitate such arrangements.
  • Side events can be organized at other venues outside the UN Secretariat, but the Secretariat should be informed of them if they are to be placed on the website.

Submission of side even requests

Please submit your side event request here until 31 March 2020.

Confirmation of selected side events is expected to be shared by 7 April 2020.

STI Forum 2020 Registration

Participation

In addition to Member States, participation is open to Observer States, intergovernmental organizations and entities with observer status in the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council, United Nations system entities, major groups and other stakeholders, and media.

Registration of official delegations

Registration of official delegations of States, observers and intergovernmental organizations, as well as specialized agencies and related organizations will be carried out by the Protocol and Liaison Service of the United Nations. To obtain UN grounds passes, permanent missions/offices are required to submit their registration requests by using the online eRegistration system, available through the e-deleGATE portal at https://delegate.un.int, by the deadline of 1 May 2020. Delegations wishing to obtain information on the system may refer to the updated “Guidelines on eRegistration” and “Frequently asked questions” sections posted on the Protocol and Liaison Service website (https://protocol.un.org).

Additional information on registration for IGOs away from New York can be found at this link: https://protocol.un.org/dgacm/pls/site.nsf/files/IGO/$FILE/Registration%20Guidelines%20for%20IGOs_REV8_Feb%202020.pdf

United Nations system entities

Registration to the Forum will require a formal letter signed by entity's Principal or designated official listing the member(s) of the delegation to be sent to:
Staff Assistant Division for Sustainable Development Goals/DESA Email: dsdg@un.org

List of participants and seating arrangements

For inclusion in the formal list of participants and seating arrangements, members of the Council, as well as observers (including Member States that are not members of the Council and intergovernmental organizations), as well as UN system entities, are requested to register their participation through the e-List of Participants module on the e-deleGATE portal.

Due to the limited number of seats available for observers in the Forum, only those Member States that are not members of the Council who register through the e-deleGATE portal, by 17:00 hours on Tuesday, 5 May 2020, will be provided a nameplate on the floor of the conference room. All others will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis, space permitting.

The capacity of the conference room may not allow for all registered intergovernmental organizations and United Nations system entities to have a seat at table. All others will be seated in the public gallery, subject to limitations on room capacity.

For inquiries regarding access to the e-List of Participants module on the e-deleGATE portal, please contact Mr. Paolo Dua (e-mail duap@un.org)

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Stakeholders

Non-governmental organizations, including those in consultative status with ECOSOC and representatives of the private sector, academia and other STI stakeholders who wish to attend the Forum must pre-register by completing the following form: http://bit.ly/2020STIForumRegistration

The deadline for pre-registration is Monday, 13 April 2020. Confirmations will be sent in separate emails. Pre-registration does not guarantee participation.

Please note that all participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements, including visa arrangements. The UN will not be able to provide any travel support to this meeting.

For more information or in case of any issues opening the registration form, please, contact: dsdg@un.org

Media accreditation and services

Media accreditation is strictly reserved for members of the press: print, photo, radio, television, film, news agencies, and online media who represent a bona fide media organization (full guidelines are available at http://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/request.shtml).

Journalists who wish to apply for media accreditation are required to complete an online form, which is available at http://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/accreditation.shtml All members of the media submitting a registration form will be required to upload a letter of assignment from their Bureau Chief or Editor-in-Chief addressed to the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit. Two pieces of identification bearing a photograph, including a passport, are also required. Samples of work may be requested.

Details regarding media access to the United Nations Secretariat, liaison services for coverage of open meetings, press conferences and briefings are available at http://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/guidelines.shtml

 

UN75 take the survey
United Nations