The Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) is envisioned as a venue for facilitating interaction, matchmaking and the establishment of networks between relevant multi-stakeholder partnerships in order to identify, discuss and examine technology needs and gaps, including with regard to scientific cooperation, innovation and capacity-building, and also in order to help facilitate development, transfer and dissemination of relevant technologies for the SDGs. With regard to the 2017 Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum), ECOSOC has decided that the date for the Forum will be 15 and 16 May 2017. The Inter-Agency Task Team has worked on a concept note for the STI Forum.

At the meeting held on 25-26 January in Paris, the group of 10 eminent representatives (the 10-Member Group to Support the Technology Facilitation Mechanism) met in person to further elaborate the concept and implementation of the 2017 STI Forum. The eminent representatives also discussed possible next steps and their inputs for the online platform development.