Highlights and images for 16 May 2017

Summary

The second annual Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) continued on Tuesday. Three interactive panel discussions were held in the morning to discuss:

  • Lessons learned in improving the impact of STI on the SDGs: highlighting the cross-cutting nature of STI
  • National STI plans and policies for achieving the SDGs
  • STI capacity building for achieving the SDGs

In the afternoon, participants engaged in interactive panels on “Emerging frontiers: evolving STI developments with implications for SDGs” and “Supporting the implementation of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM).” During the concluding session, Bill Colglazier welcomed the innovation pitches that opened many of the Forum’s sessions. He invited Member States to support the TFM politically and financially and saluted the idea of a roadmap for the TFM. Co-Chairs Macharia Kamau (Kenya) and Vaughan Turekian (US) thanked everyone, saying that this year’s session built on the first STI Forum and expressed hope that next year’s will be even better.

ECOSOC President Musiiwa Makamure Shava said the two days showcased what is possible when youth and innovators bring their talent and energy in service of the SDGs, and invited Member States to continue supporting them. He reminded participants that the recommendations of the STI Forum will be presented during the meeting of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July. He closed the meeting at 6:20 pm.

IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web updates from the STI Forum 2017. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a briefing note of the Forum in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB
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Session 3 discussed lessons learned in improving the impact of STI on the SDGs. (L-R on the dais) Mary Snapp, Microsoft Philanthropy; Peter Gluckman, Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, New Zealand; Augustin Jianu, Minister of Communications and Information Society, Romania; Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian; Co-Chair Macharia Kamau; Secretary; Moderator Heide Hackmann, Executive Director, International Council for Science (ICSU)

Participants during Tuesday’s proceedings

Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropy

Peter Gluckman, Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, New Zealand

Augustin Jianu, Minister of Communications and Information Society, Romania

Heide Hackmann, Executive Director, ICSU

Bill Colglazier, Center for Science Diplomacy, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Abdullah Lootah, Director General of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, United Arab Emirates

Marcia McNutt, President, National Academy of Sciences, US

Michiharu Nakamura, Counsellor to the President of Japan Science and Technology Agency

Co-Chair Macharia Kamau introduces the panel for session 5: STI capacity building for achieving the SDGs

Geoffrey Boulton, President, CODATA

Romain Murenzi, UNESCO

Bitrina Diyamett, Executive Director, Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Research Organization, Tanzania

James Querry, Philadelphia University, US

Ellen Jorgensen, GenSpace, New York

Ellen Jorgensen’s presentation

Shantanu Mukherjee, Chief, Policy Analysis Branch, Division for Sustainable Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Xiaolan Fu, University of Oxford, UK

Klaus Tilmes, Director, Trade and Competitiveness, World Bank

Nina Harjula, GCCA Board Member, Nia Ltd., Finland

(L-R) Co-Chair Vaughan Turekian (US); Co-Chair Macharia Kamau (Kenya); and ECOSOC President Musiiwa Makamure Shava

Innovation Pitches

Rebecca Firth’s innovation pitch “Missing Maps”

Bailey Ulbricht’s innovation pitch “Paper Airplanes”

Jiwon Park’s innovation pitch “CodePhil” in the Philippines

Around the Venue