Remarks by Mr. Joakim Reiter, Deputy Secretary-General, UNCTAD at the Ministerial Roundtable on Managing the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the sustainable development goals: the role of science, technology and innovation, Geneva, 4 May 2015

A scientist and a visionary of the digital era, Alain Kay, once said: “the best way to predict the future is to invent it”.

And this is precisely what we are doing in 2015.

We are defining the contours of the world we want by 2030. The finance for development conference, the SDG summit, WSIS + 10 and COP 21, they are all part of our efforts to set the compass for the future we all want.

But we need to pave the roads to that future. And an important way of doing so is through science, technology and innovation.

The topic of this roundtable is timely and important (‘managing the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the sustainable development goals: the role of science, technology and innovation’).

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you three ideas that, in my view, are important to consider if Science, Technology and Innovation are to play an even bigger role in the post-2015 agenda.

Let me start with the first one: gaps in STI capacities.

As we make the transition from the MDGs to an even more ambitious set of development goals, we need to ensure all our means of implementation are used at their maximum capacity. Science, Technology and Innovation are essential in this context.

However, the expansion of STI and their ability to foster development are often constrained by weak STI capacities in developing countries. There are glaring STI capacity gaps, especially in the least developed countries. This could range from inadequate human resources, a lack of research infrastructure, training facilities, to weak national innovation systems.

UNCTAD and the CSTD have previously highlighted the need to address these gaps, if STI is to foster inclusive development. It should therefore be a priority to strengthen the global partnerships and mobilize resources to mitigate such gaps.

Let me now turn to my second point: improving policy effectiveness.

The new and ambitious development agenda demands more resources. But its implementation will also require us to use available resources more efficiently and effectively. As a consequence, our policies will need to be more effective and more coherent.

To maximize effectiveness we need to ensure the implementation of evidencebased policies in all areas, including STI. And we also need to ensure the presence of feedback mechanisms that allow us to learn and correct the course if needed.

We also need greater coherence. Otherwise, resources can be wasted in policies that neutralize each other. For instance, promoting FDI in high tech and knowledge intensive sectors without a policy that fosters domestic technological capabilities can render FDI efforts expensive and ineffective.

I will turn to my third and last point: making the most of the big data revolution.

The exponential growth and availability of data, both structured and unstructured, represents an important opportunity in the post-2015 era. And big data may be as important to business – and society – as the Internet has become.

If used correctly, more data will allow us to make more accurate analyses of development problems. More accurate analyses, in turn, should lead to more confident decision-making. And better decisions can mean greater efficiencies, and reduced risk.

The global STI community has an important role to play in this regard. And, if the potential of big data is to be fully utilized for the SDGs, we need to facilitate and promote cross-border transfer of data, whilst addressing legitimate concerns that this may give rise to.

Transiting from the MDGs to the SDGs may not be an easy task, but it is feasible. And the CSTD can helped to pave the way for Science, Technology and Innovation to play the role it should in the post-2015 development agenda.

I am confident that your deliberations today will provide valuable inputs to the ECOSOC high-level segment in July.

Thank you very much.

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Strategic foresight for the post-2015 development agenda: Report of the Secretary-General

This report identifies, analyses and presents for discussion key issues concerning the role of strategic foresight for policymakers, particularly in developing countries. Chapter II provides an introduction to strategic foresight and its use around the world. Chapter III presents key trends related to science, technology and innovation (STI) that are likely to be relevant for development in the post-2015 period, based on the findings of the metaanalysis of recent foresight reports and inputs from international foresight experts, together with a critical assessment of their potential socioeconomic and development impacts. Chapter IV highlights key policy lessons. Chapter V presents findings and suggestions for consideration by national Governments and other relevant stakeholders.