Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
It is an honour to join you today for the first commemoration of the International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South. I thank the Chair of the G77 and China for this timely initiative, building on the Havana Summit of 2023 and General Assembly resolution 78/259.
We meet at a critical moment. Only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress. Nearly half are progressing too slowly, and 18 per cent are regressing. With only five years left, the international community must accelerate efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Science, technology and innovation are key to this acceleration. They can drive individualization, productivity, diversification and resilient growth, while helping address the climate crisis, food insecurity and persistent inequalities. Yet, as you know well, the global digital divide, capacity gaps, and barriers to technology access remain significant. Unless we act together, these divides risk deepening inequality even further.
The Pact for the Future underscores the urgency of bridging these gaps. It calls on the UN system and all partners to scale up support for capacity-building, foresight and technology assessment, ensuring developing countries can harness frontier technologies on their own terms.
In this context, DESA is fully committed to this mission. As Secretariat for the Technology Facilitation Mechanism, the STI Forum, and the Global Sustainable Development Report, we will continue to convene diverse stakeholders, strengthen evidence and foresight, and support Member States in designing inclusive STI for SDG roadmaps. We are also working with partners to expand access to geospatial and Big Earth Data¡ªand other digital tools that can empower Small Island Developing States and other vulnerable groups to monitor progress and design resilient strategies.
Excellencies,
Today¡¯s commemoration is an affirmation of our shared commitment to close the STI gaps that hinder development. DESA stands with the G-77 and China in this effort.
Together, we can ensure that science, technology and innovation truly serve the Global South, advancing the 2030 Agenda and delivering a more just, resilient and sustainable future for all.
Thank you.