– As delivered –
Remarks by H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly
28 April 2021
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for joining this plenary meeting on rapid technological change and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Today’s discussion is a direct response to Member State concerns around rapid technological change and sustainable development, and builds on yesterday’s Thematic Debate on Digital Cooperation and Connectivity.
Together, these discussions cap off a concerted effort by Member States and the UN System to elevate the discourse around this important topic ahead of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum in May.
Rapid technological change is first and foremost a good thing. It is, however, one that must be managed well and accessible to all. Employed the right way, with policy instruments to guide development and facilitate access, technological advancements can fuel action across the SDG agenda.
Dear colleagues,
As was emphasized during yesterday’s debate, rapid technological change is first and foremost a good thing. It is, however, one that must be managed well and accessible to all. Employed the right way, with policy instruments to guide development and facilitate access, technological advancements can fuel action across the SDG agenda.
Take for example the pressing need to address environmental issues. Rapid technological changes offer the opportunity for low carbon solutions to be mainstreamed and introduced into new areas.
The same can be said across the entirety of the SDGs. From new healthcare technologies, to safer air transport, to new data-driven policies for urban housing or biodiversity conservation, technological advancement can help usher in faster and more profound progress on sustainable development.
Yet, there is understandably uncertainty and confusion, particularly when faced with both a fast-paced change and deep-seated inequalities.
It goes without saying that for many people across the globe, rapid technological change equates to rapid job change. A major concern globally is that emerging, frontier technologies are replacing human workers, directly impacting jobs and livelihoods. This includes technologies that take advantage of digitalization and connectivity – including artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things, big data, blockchain, 5G, 3D printing, robotics, drones, gene editing, nanotechnology, and renewables.
While workers and the population at large tend to expect these new technologies to reduce jobs, the opposite is often the case. New technologies can create new jobs in innovative, emerging sectors, and lead to better equipped, better connected workforces.
For this to be beneficial to all, however, efforts must be made to support re-training, and national and local capacities to adapt must be supported.
On this, I commend Member States and partners, such as Microsoft, for their announcements and statements of support during the High-Level Debate. These efforts will help strengthen economic growth in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, as well as empower young people globally.
Dear colleagues,
As I have emphasized these past two days, closing the digital divide must be a priority as we emerge from the global pandemic. There is no path to the 2030 Agenda that does not include rapidly scaling up access to technologies and digitization globally.
According to the 2020 SDGs report, only 54 per cent of the global population uses the internet, with the vast majority of those disconnected residing in Least Developed Countries. If we are to maintain our commitment to leaving no one behind, and if we are to regain momentum lost during the global pandemic, kickstarting action on the digital divide must be front and center.
The global pandemic has accelerated the use of digital tools and underscored the starkness of the digital divide. It is now more urgent than ever that we ensure our recovery efforts are marked by inclusion, equity, resilience, and sustainability, employing all the tools at our disposal to do so.
For governments and the multilateral system, rapid technological changes must be seen as an accelerator and a tool to bridge the divide, to usher in a new industrial revolution across the globe, connecting billions of people who have been, to date, disconnected and disenfranchised.
The Technology Facilitation Mechanism is one piece of this puzzle, as it endeavors to address new and emerging technologies and their impacts on the SDGs. Similarly, the Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the SDGs remains a crucial element in collecting data and channeling this into the STI Forum, allowing Member States, UN entities and civil society groups to make evidence-based decisions that impact directly on the delivery of SDG efforts.
I am pleased to note that the Task Team has also prepared, “…findings on the impacts of rapid technological change on the SDGs,” which have been presented in dedicated sessions of the STI Forum in 2018 and 2019, per General Assembly resolutions to that end.
Looking ahead, an expert group will be presenting new findings during a dedicated session of the 2021 STI Forum on 5 May 2021. It is hoped that these findings will assess rapid, frontier technologies in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, acknowledging lessons learned by countries who have employed them in their pandemic response.
Dear colleagues,
As stated during yesterday’s debate, we are at an inflection point in our history. How we choose to undertake recovery will shape the world for generations to come. Technological advancements are a strong and ever-changing tool in our efforts to combat poverty, empower women and girls, and bring peace and stability to those in need. We must learn to leverage and harness these technologies everywhere if we are to make full use of them.
In that regard, it is important to remember that technological advancements are only as smart as the policies that we have in place to harness them. I therefore urge Member States to reflect on these pertinent issues and to come forward with strong proposals and solutions.
I thank you for joining today’s discussion and for lending your support, ideas, and solutions to the High-Level Debate on Digital Cooperation and Connectivity.
Thank you.
