On 4 May 2021, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed a new group of ten renowned experts to support the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism. The group will advise on the ways of harnessing science, technology and innovation to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Eminent scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and activists, the ten new members bring a diversity of expertise and experience across various fields of science, technology, innovation and business.

The group will work closely with stakeholder groups, including business, youth and children, and the academic and research community, with the first meeting planned for late May 2021.

The new members of the group are:

Ms. Quarraisha Abdool Karim (South Africa), Associate Scientific Director, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research (CAPRISA); and Professor, Clinical Epidemiology, Columbia University

Ms. Cherry Murray (USA), Professor of Physics and Deputy Director for Research, Biosphere 2, University of Arizona

Ms. Maki Kawai (Japan), Director General, Institute for Molecular Science, Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo

Ms. Salome Guchu (Kenya), Deputy Director of Research, State Department of University Education and Research, Ministry of Education

Ms. Anita Gurumurthy (India), Founding member and Executive Director, IT for Change, Bangalore

Mr. Keywan Riahi (Austria), Director, Energy, Climate and Environment Program (ECE), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Mr. Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz (Brazil), Member, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Senior Vice President (Elsevier), and Professor Emeritus; Elsevier Research Networks; Physics Institute, University of Campinas         

Mr. Yonglong Lu (China), Chair Professor of Xiamen University, and Distinguished Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Mr. Tālis Juhna (Latvia),  Vice-Rector for Research and Professor; Chairman of Advisory Board of the Latvian Council of Science, Riga Technical University

Mr. José Ramón López-Portillo Romano (Mexico), Science Diplomacy Adviser to Mexican Government, Chairman/non-Executive Director, Zenith Energy Ltd.; Co-founder and Chairman of Q-Element

The Technology Facilitation Mechanism was created to support the implementation of the SDGs by facilitating partnerships, collaboration and sharing of best practices on using science and technology for sustainable development. The mechanism comprises a United Nations Inter-agency Task Team (IATT) on science, technology and innovation, currently consisting of 45 entities; an annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs; and an online platform – the 2030 Connect, which serves as a gateway for information on existing initiatives, mechanisms and programmes.

Further information

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