LDC Future Forum - Innovation for structural transformation in Least Developed Countries

Innovation for structural transformation in Least Developed Countries
5-6 March 2024, Helsinki, Finland

The world is far off track in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Least developed countries are in danger of being left even further behind. With eight years left to 2030, we must urgently develop new ways to accelerate the needed transformations.

Making better use of science, technology and innovations is key in this task.

To support least developing countries to reach these goals, the UN-OHRLLS and Finland are organizing a series of LDC Future Forums to gather different actors together annually. Building on the First LDC Future Forum in Helsinki, Finland in 2021 and its session on ‘Deploying Digital: Leveraging STI and emerging digital technologies for sustainable development’, the second Forum will focus on the role of innovation for structural transformation.

Objetives

The Second LDC Future Forum will explore how to harness innovation, digitalization and technology to fosterstructural transformation and sustainable development in LDCs.

The panels will cover key sectors, including education, job creation, agro-processing and e-commerce.

The objective is to share ideas and lessons learned, and draw evidence-based policy recommendations. The Forums will strengthen the science-policy interface by bringing together both researchers and policymakers, among others. The objective of the multi-year LDC Future Forum series is to support the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action. The themes of each Forum are based on the DPoA priority areas.The Forums will also contribute to other UN processes to foster the achievement of SDGs in LDC

Approach and participants

The LDC Future Forum provides a platform for policy makers and researchers from LDCs and their development partners, permanent representatives to the UN of the LDCs, as well as for civil society and the private sector, to come together to discuss and share innovative solutions to the themes discussed above. The panels will be based on robust research and lead to policy recommendations. Country case studies, including from landlocked and graduating LDCs, will provide an opportunity for peer learning.

Partners

The Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) and Finland are the co-organizers of the Forum. Supporting partners include United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), OECD Development Center, Ferdi, UNICEF Innocenti and the UN Technology Bank for LDCs.

Outcomes

A report with key findings as well as policy briefs with policy recommendations will be published on the LDC Future Forum website. The Forum will also feed into the 2024 UN Summit of the Future as well as the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), making recommendations for the Pact for the Future and the new program of action for the LLDCs, with half of the LLDCs being also LDCs.

More information in our concept notePDF. 

Visit the official website.