The United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It holds an annual intergovernmental forum for discussion on timely and pertinent issues affecting science, technology and development. Since 2005, the Commission has been mandated by ECOSOC to serve as the focal point in the system-wide follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the information Society (WSIS).
Its members are composed of national Governments, however civil society contributes to discussions that take place. Strong links exist with other UN bodies (The Commission on Status of Women, Regional Commissions, ITU, UNESCO).
Outcomes of the CSTD include providing the United Nations General Assembly and ECOSOC with high-level advice on relevant science and technology issues. UNCTAD provides secretariat service and substantive support to the Commission.
World Summit on the Information Society
This annual report is prepared in response to Economic and Social Council resolution 2006/46, which requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations to inform the Commission on Science and Technology for Development about implementation of outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society.
It highlights major activities undertaken by stakeholders during the previous year. It is prepared by the secretariat of UNCTAD, based on information provided by entities in the United Nations system, international organizations and other stakeholders.
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News
Conversation with experts
The Gender Dimension
Working groups
Resolutions and Decisions
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ECOSOC Decisions related to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development
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ECOSOC Resolutions related to Science and Technology for Development
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ECOSOC Resolutions related to follow-up to outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society
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GA Resolutions on Science, Technology and Innovation for Development
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GA Resolutions on Information and Communications Technologies for Sustainable Development
ECOSOC Coordination and Management Segments
- Briefing of the Report of the CSTD on its twenty-eight session (E/2025/31) by H.E. Mr. Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Chair of the CSTD 28th session, to the ECOSOC Management Segment - Item 19: Economic and environmental questions (29/07/2025)
- Remarks by H.E. Mr. Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Chair Interim of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Management Segment - Roundtable discussion on: Unity in Action: Accelerating SDG Implementation and Building a Better Future for All (11/06/2025)
- Talking points of H.E. Mr. Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Coordination Segment - Panel 1: Conversation with Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions and Chairs of functional commissions and expert bodies on accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals including by leveraging the outcomes of the Summit of the Future (06/02/2025)
- Statement by H.E. Mr. Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Coordination Segment - Panel 5: Harnessing data, science, technology and innovation to advance digital progress (07/02/2025)
- Introduction of the Report of the CSTD on its twenty-seventh session (E/2024/31) by H.E. Mr. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Management Segment - Item 18: Economic and environmental questions (23/07/2024)
- Intervention by Ms. Ana Neves, Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Coordination Segment - Session on: Closing the digital divide towards achieving a global digital transformation (01/02/2024)
- Statement by Ms. Ana Neves, Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Coordination Segment - Session on: Conversation with Executive Secretaries of regional commissions and Chairs of functional commissions and expert bodies on sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda (01/02/2024)
- Statement by Ms. Ana Neves, Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Coordination Segment - Session on: Sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions to advance climate action (31/01/2024)
- Remarks by Ms. Ana Neves, Chair of the CSTD, to the roundtable at the Management Segment of the ECOSOC: Transformation is possible - Actions from the ECOSOC system (08/06/2023)
- Statement by Ms Ana Cristina das Neves, Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Management Segment (07/06/2023)
- Talking point of Mansour Al-Qurashi, Acting Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Coordination Segment- Session on: Reflections on the work of ECOSOC subsidiary bodies (01/02/2023)
- Talking point of Mansour Al-Qurashi, Acting Chair of the CSTD, to the ECOSOC Coordination Segment - Session on: Transformative policies to accelerate implementation of SDG6 on clean water and interlinked SDGs, with a focus on climate action and financing (01/02/2023)
Latest publications
Events and meetings
2 – 5 December 2025
Regional training workshop for advancing satellite crop monitoring to enhance agricultural resilience using the CropWatch cloud system in Latin America and the Caribbean
17 November 2025
Commission on Science and Technology for Development, 2025-2026 Inter-sessional Panel
15 – 16 September 2025
Third meeting of the UN CSTD multi-stakeholder working group on data governance at all levels
12 – 14 August 2025
Multi-stakeholder workshop on the roadmap to support STI parks in Ghana
3 – 4 July 2025
Second meeting of the UN CSTD multi-stakeholder working group on data governance at all levels
Documents and publications
02 Jul 2025
Implementing World Summit on the Information Society Outcomes: A Twenty-Year Review
UNCTAD/TCS/DTL/INF/2025/2
17 Feb 2025
Report on the intersessional panel meeting
Held between 21 and 22 October 2024 in Geneva
E/CN.16/2025/CRP.1
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