Technology, Research and Sustainable Development in the Spotlight at the Commission on Population and Development

Powerful forces are reshaping our world, in ways felt by people everywhere. Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing work and workplaces. Demographics are changing rapidly and climate change is worsening – all while crises and conflicts continue to cause untold suffering and displace millions across the globe. Rarely has the need to find common ground around common solutions been more urgent.

Technology and research have been key in accelerating sustainable development. Yet technological change has also, in some cases, deepened inequalities and created new divides and challenges.

That’s why the fifty-ninth session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (13–17 April 2026), with its focus on technology, research and sustainable development, arrives at such an important moment. The Commission is the only United Nations forum dedicated to reviewing progress on the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which affirmed that reproductive rights are human rights, central to human dignity, autonomy and equality, and essential to sustainable development.

As experts and government representatives from around the world gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to reflect on the impact of new technologies on reproductive health and rights, and demographic data, the guiding principles of ICPD, as relevant as ever, must help us keep technology and research centred on people and fully aligned with human rights.

Making these links clear is critical for evidence-based policymaking – and the future of sustainable development, especially when historic demographic changes are happening all around us. Some societies are ageing fast. Others have growing populations of young people. Record numbers of people are on the move for reasons ranging from conflict to a search for better economic prospects. All these trends carry possibilities, such as economic dividends, as well as risks, including policies that may restrict reproductive rights or limit individual choice.

Technology and research have vast potential to improve lives. Healthcare innovations detect reproductive cancers early. New contraceptive options, including self-administered injectables, can enhance autonomy and privacy. Telemedicine and mobile health platforms sustain care in crises and bring life-saving services to remote communities. By empowering individuals with such technologies, we equip them and their communities with more choices and build resilience – crucial in this age of change and uncertainty.

Technology, when deployed responsibly, can also support adaptation to demographic change. There has been a revolution underway in population data, for instance, with satellite imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) allowing the collection of more accurate, disaggregated data that fully reflect the diversity of human lives. These can inform budget and policy choices, help bridge long-standing disparities and remove obstacles to inclusive development.

But however great the promise of progress, we will not go far if access to technology continues to be uneven. Research capacity remains concentrated in a limited number of countries, and within societies, factors such as income, gender and disability largely define who has access to technology and who does not. These disparities increasingly threaten to leave large numbers of people behind. As underscored in the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, the world must close all digital divides to accelerate development.

Further, digital inclusion depends on digital safety. Research on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), from online harassment to image-based abuse, doxxing and more, has highlighted the chilling effect of such violence in pushing women and girls out of public and digital spaces. Without safety online, women cannot fully participate in the digital economy and society. Within each country and across borders, we need strong legal and regulatory frameworks to prevent and respond to TFGBV. Equally, we need provisions to protect the use of data, to apply safety-by-design principles as technology evolves, and to invest in digital literacy to protect women, girls and young people from online abuse.

All countries are facing profound questions about how to adapt their economies while navigating the promises and challenges of automation and workforce changes. UNFPA continues to highlight that investing in people’s rights and choices is the only way to build true resilience and adaptability. This includes investments in universal health coverage, with sexual and reproductive healthcare at the core, and in education to build digital skills. We need stepped-up policies to close the gender divide in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), where women remain underrepresented, especially in high-growth sectors such as AI and cloud computing.

The topics under discussion at this year’s Commission session are critically important for every country. The speed and impact of change brought about by digitalization and AI are unprecedented. The future depends on making the right links between people, technology and research, as well as the right investments in inclusive development, and there’s no time to spare.

By providing a platform to exchange views and bring forward solutions, the Commission highlights the real-world value of expertise on demographics, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and data, grounded in agreed principles and attuned to the needs of communities and countries worldwide. That is the promise of the population and development agenda, which, in today’s era of demographic anxiety and global uncertainty, is more relevant than ever in guiding us to make choices that uphold individual rights and serve the common good.