WESS

The World Social Report is the flagship publication of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs on major social development issues.

The World Social Report 2021: Reconsidering Rural Development was produced by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, led by the Development Research Branch in the Economic Analysis and Policy Division, with inputs from the Division for Inclusive Social Development.

Featuring H. E. Ambassador Mohan Pieris, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. Ambassador Mohan Pieris, President’s Counsel, has been serving as the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York since January 2021. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Pieris held the positions of the Chief Justice, Attorney General, Senior Legal Advisor to the Cabinet, Legal Consultant to the Central Bank, and Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka.

Mariangela Parra-Lancourt presented the World Economic and Social Survey 2018: Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development. The Seminar included presentations from experts from the Universities of Alicante, Maastricht, Georgia State, Indiana and Sussex, the IEEM, the Institute of Technology and Society in Brazil and the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office on the disruptive nature of the 4th industrial revolution for intellectual property, data as the new currency of the 4th industrial revolution, (dis)trust and the data society, copyright, patents, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Mr. Harris discussed frontier technologies in general, how these technologies are deeply interconnected and interdependent, as advances in one are likely to impact many others.  He also discussed the challenges in harnessing the benefits of these technologies for all, while giving everyone the opportunity not only to cope with its side-effects, but to thrive. The online panel also discussed the imperative of bridging the technological divide through active national innovation systems.

The Development Research Branch (DRB) organized a High-level Briefing on Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development on 1 November 2018 at UN Headquarters in New York, moderated by Mr. Elliott Harris, United Nations Chief Economist and Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development.

The Development Research Branch (DRB) organized a Development Policy Seminar to present the key findings of the World Economic and Social Survey 2018 to a group of Columbia University PhD candidates. The presentation by the DRB team was followed by a Q&A session during which the participants exchanged views on the process of preparing the Survey, including the identification of the topic, compilation of research data, collaboration with other United Nations entities and outreach.

Senior Economic Affairs Officer Mariangela Parra-Lancourt presented a brief on the World Economic and Social Survey 2018: Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development at the Informal Meeting of the General Assembly Plenary entitled “Impact of Rapid Technological Change on the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals” today in New York.

The World Economic and Social Survey 2018 reviews the advances in frontier technologies – automation, robotics, electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, biotechnologies and artificial intelligence – and analyses their economic, social and environmental impact. These technologies possess immense potential for fostering growth, prosperity and environmental sustainability and accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.