The power of science, technology and innovation to improve the lives of people and to help protect the planet is evident. But in order to drive progress towards the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its vision of leaving no one behind, innovative solutions will need to be pro-poor, equitable, and scalable. How can the potential of innovation be unlocked for the benefit of all?

With this question in mind, the annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) will convened a diverse range of innovators, researchers and policy makers in New York on 5 and 6 June to explore advances in science and technology that can help achieve sustainable development that leaves no one behind. Participants at the Forum will discuss how to disseminate and share such solutions.

10 young innovators from around the world, selected from more than 300 applicants, will present their cutting-edge solutions at a dedicated exhibition of Innovative Technology Solutions for the SDGs in the UN Visitor’s Centre in New York on 5 and 6 June.

As a global mechanism that serves both developed and developing countries, the STI Forum allows pragmatic, in-depth discussions of technology issues. It aims to improve coherence of science, technology and innovation support and capacity building across the UN system and beyond.

Convened by the President of the Economic and Social Council, the Forum’s conclusions will serve as input to the meeting of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development 2018. Its theme will be “Science, Technology and Innovation for sustainable and resilient societies” and, as the HLPF, it will focus on SDG 6 on water and sanitation, SDG 7 on sustainable energy, SDG 11 on sustainable cities, SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production patterns, and SDG 15 on terrestrial ecosystems.

Two special events will be organized before and after the Forum itself: The Global Solutions Summit (GSS) 2018: “From Lab to the Last Mile: Technology Deployment Business Models for the SDGs” on 4 June, and a Special G-STIC (Global Science Technology and Innovation Conference) event “Accelerating technological transition towards the SDGs” on 7 June.

Photo by Thomas Griesbeck on Unsplash