Intersessional Commission on Science and Technology for Development
23 January 2017
[As prepared for Delivery]
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.
The last two years could have been more different.
In 2015, multilateralism seemed unstoppable. The global community agreed on the most ambitious development agenda in the history of human kind; it found - finally - a common plan to confront climate change; And it defined the ways to finance the development we so much strive for. It was also the year when the Member States, at the General Assembly, reaffirmed their vision of a people-centred and inclusive information society.
But in 2016, to put things mildly, things changed. The notion and effectiveness of global cooperation came under question.
Populism, even outright economic nationalism, broke through on a big scale - potentially jeopardizing international solidarity.
And it has brought with it the realization that the anti-globalization or revisionist movements are not a wave, but a tsunami, this, frankly, caught many of us by surprise.
Today, globalization is increasingly depicted as threat rather than an opportunity.
Many factors may have contributed to this sentiment. But we must acknowledge that the changes that technology brings, and the uncertainties that come with these changes, are one of the elements that create the rising anxiety that feeds into the populist movements.
Technology has the power to transform, but it is a two-edged sword. For example, it is likely to create new jobs, but - in the process - it may very well destroy old ones; It can reshape health and agriculture, but - as we have known for a long time - there is a lot of people worried about so-called "Frankenstein food"; Or, it can provide unique opportunities for social interaction and information sharing, but also new challenges of disinformation and hate speech.
These apparent dichotomies polarize the perceptions about technology, creating anxieties and resistance around it.
Out task is to magnify the positive effects of technology, at the same time as we reduce its unintended consequences.
And to do this, we need to recognize and discuss the challenges, and we need to think about solutions.
This is the essence of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development. This is the premier international forum to discuss these issues, and help countries to harness the power of science, technology, and innovation to create the future that we want to create.
On this occasion the Commission will focus on two themes:
New innovation approaches to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and;
The role of science, technology and innovation in ensuring food security by 2030.
In addition, the Commission will examine issues related to the follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
Allow me to provide few introductory words with respect to each of the theme.
Firstly, given the constraints that we face as a global community, science, technology, and innovation may be one of our most viable means to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Innovation can be harnessed for addressing our greatest global challenges in cost effective manner, ensure social inclusion, and respect the environment.
Innovation can bring new or improved solutions to the betterment of our citizens' livelihoods, just as it can improve our existing production processes. In fact, innovation often implies doing more with less. This is particularly so in the case of frugal innovation.
Such innovation is happening not only for the poor but by the poor.
For example, the Mitticool refrigerator was designed by an Indian potter to work without electricity. It uses sustainable materials, keeps food fresh for days, and is to built at the cost of $30-50.
In Brazil, over a million water cisterns have been built not only to capture and store seasonal rainfall but also to forge relationships and build capacity through technology.
Beyond frugal innovation efforts, the UN, research institutes, and labs across the world are leveraging innovations for sustainable development.
Colombian scientists collected and analyzed a decade of weather and crop data to help farmers in Córdoba avoid economic losses estimated at $3.6 million. This can also potentially improve the productivity of rice by 1 to 3 tons per hectare.
And new and emerging technologies, like blockchain (such as bitcoin) or m-payments, hold promise for making financial inclusion a reality.
Harnessing new innovation approaches for sustainable development requires new organizational forms. Policies and institutions must be geared towards leveraging innovation and technologies, empowering people to absorb new ideas and solutions.
But to change the direction of innovation towards SDG targets, requires resources: digital infrastructure, human capital, finance for research and innovation, market and non-market linkages, and regulatory instruments. And not only that, it also needs strong collaboration and partnerships amongst all stakeholders at all levels.
Secondly, we will not address many of the global challenges we face without the inclusive and sustainable application of science, technology, and innovation.
Take for example food security. Nearly 800 million people are undernourished, among them 90 million children under five years
Food security is extremely complex, as many factors play a role. For instance: depleting natural resource base, climate change, population growth, urbanization, unsustainable consumption patterns, conflict, distortions to international trade and - not least - lack of good governance, amongst other factors.
We know that science, technology, and innovation are critical enablers for addressing food security. The Green Revolution is a perfect example. It helped South Asian countries, in aggregate, triple their agricultural yields since 1960.
In spite of such successes, the Green Revolution largely bypassed Africa and it also had significant environmental costs. Along with population growth, the intensified agricultural practices of the Green Revolution may have also contributed to water scarcity, deforestation, desertification, and greenhouse gas emissions.
The goal of achieving "Zero Hunger" by 2030 will require new scientific, technical, and innovative approaches to increase productivity, while minimize environmental damage.
Harnessing science and technology for food security requires making the food system itself more innovative. This includes defining a research agenda that focuses on smallholder farmers, investing in human capacity and infrastructure, reduce food waste and ensure better distribution systems at national, regional and global levels, as well as putting the appropriate governance structures.
But it also requires money, and a lot.
Globally, it has been by estimated that eradicating hunger by 2030 will require an additional $267 billion annually.
And achieving zero hunger is only one of the many challenges that the global community has committed to address by 2030. In fact, it has been estimated that $3.9 trillion is the annual funding needed to achieve the SDGs.
With only $1.4 trillion in combined public and private investment, the international development community still faces a $2.5 trillion gap. To put this figure in perspective, the gap is equivalent to the GDP of France in 2016.
And before I conclude I would like to make one more point: the important role this Commission plays for development.
A scientist and a visionary of the digital era, Alain Kay, once said: the best way to predict the future is to invent it".
This is what you are doing here. Finding ways to enable countries to invent the future they want.
The CSTD is the international forum where you, Member States, and stakeholders can come together to not only assess what the future could be, but to use Science, Technology and Innovation to build it.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
UNCTAD, as secretariat of the CSTD is proud to contribute to the intellectual exchanges taking place in the Commission around such decisive issues for our common future. In this regard, I am confident that your deliberations over the next three days will provide valuable inputs to the CSTD Annual Session in May and the HLPF.
I wish you a productive session and thank you for your attention.
