Dear President Stoeva, esteemed co-chairs, ladies and gentlemen,
A warm welcome to all participants of the eighth Forum, especially to the members of the scientific community.
With the 17 Goals badly off track, we need to mobilize science to accelerate action and develop transformative solutions.
We are looking to you to inform our decisions at the United Nations.
2022 was a pivotal year for technology breakthroughs in many aspect of our lives.
If we are committed to achieving a net-zero and climate resilient future, we need ambitious STI policies to support the sustainability transition.
The STI Forum can help to deliver on a scientific validation mechanism that improves the fulfilment of our SDG pledges.
COVID-19 revealed that global health, social systems and economies are surprisingly fragile in our interconnected world.
But it also demonstrated that community-based technology and data sharing are fundamental drivers of resilience.
Scientists predict there is a 25 per cent chance that another disease as deadly and widespread as COVID-19 could emerge within 10 years.
Can we, at the UN, say that we are ready?
By incorporating science, innovation, technology and digitalization into our thinking, we can move from fragile to agile.
We can ensure our societies are more inclusive, our systems more integrated and our economies more resilient to tomorrow’s shocks.
Time and again, we have seen how science, technology and innovation can drive progress towards the future we want.
Let us strengthen their contributions as we work to rescue the 2030 Agenda.
As we move towards the SDG Summit, let us use both your Forum and the HLPF in July as stepping stones to the quantum leap we need in September.
I wish you every success in your discussions.
