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Summary of Background Note on Technology Facilitation Mechanism

The background note on Possible arrangements for a technology facilitation mechanism and other science, technology and innovation issues has been posted on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, together with the Summary of the General Assembly Structured Dialogues on Possible arrangements for a facilitation mechanism to promote the development, transfer and dissemination of clean and environmentally sound technologies in preparation for the discussions on the Technology facilitation mechanism that will take place on Wednesday.

The importance of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for sustainable development was first emphasized in Agenda 21 adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992. The Rio+20 outcome document The Future We Want, in the section on Means of Implementation, (para 273) calls for “assessing the technology needs of developing countries, options to address those needs and capacity building.”

Subsequently the UN Secretary-General made specific proposals (A/67/348 and A/68/310), with four workshops being held during the 67^th session of the General Assembly. In 2014 four structured dialogues were convened during the 68^th session co-moderated by Ambassador Paul Seger, Permanent Representative of Switzerland and the Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota, Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil. In August 2014, the President of the General Assembly, in consultation with the Co-moderators, issued a summary of discussions, identified areas of convergence and made recommendations for the way forward. (A/RES/68/310)

The resolution requested the Secretary-General to “come forward to the General Assembly with a concrete proposal without further delay” on the following deliverables:

Develop an online platform to undertake a thorough mapping of existing technology facilitation mechanisms, frameworks and processes of clean and environmentally sound technologies;
Improve coordination within the UN System on clean and environmentally sound technologies;
Analyse technology needs and gaps in addressing them.

There should also be “continued deliberations on a number of the elements and functions that have been proposed as part of future UN actions on technology facilitation, namely:

Developing capacity development programmes and technology needs assessments;
Conducting technology assessments;
Building public-private partnerships including on collaborative IP systems and licensing;
Setting up a technology development fund, to strengthen global R&D and demonstration co-operation and technology transfer and developing countries’ participation in these;
Setting up a management and coordination structure within the UN, including regional and sub-regional cooperative mechanisms and national coordination units that actively facilitate and promote the transfer of technology;
Reviewing the proposal for creating a global Advanced Research Projects Agency for Sustainable Development with a view to identifying synergies between the concrete deliverables proposed above and this proposal.

The Report of the Open Working Group also addressed issues such as technology cooperation, development, transfer and capacity building as targets, while Goal 17 calls for enhancing “regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhanc[ing] knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism when agreed.” (target 17.6) Target 17.8 also calls for “fully operationaliz[ing] the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity- building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhanc[ing] the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology.

The Technology Facilitation Mechanism is referred to in the Secretary-General’s Synthesis Report (para 125).

It is also included in the Addis Ababa Accord Zero Draft, which emphasizes three aspects of technology policy, namely – natural science, technology, and innovation (STI) strategies domestically; international collaboration – financial and technology facilitation – to complement national efforts; and options to address financing gaps in innovation. It should be noted that the draft includes a call for countries to adopt STI strategies as integral elements of national sustainable development strategies, with a view to strengthen knowledge sharing and collaboration among all stakeholders, scale up investments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, particularly for women, and create enabling policy environments for innovation. Support should be scaled up for public private partnership (PPPs) targeting technology development and diffusion in areas including “sustainable urban development (transport, buildings, food and service provision) and vaccines and medicines.”

An informal interagency working group has been established by the Secretary-General, involving UNDESA and UNEP as co-facilitators to support his work in this area.

In preparation for the discussions this week, it is suggested that Member States might wish to consider the following questions:

Q: What are the key enablers for strengthening science, technology and innovation for sustainable development at the national and international level?

Q: What is the best way to address the different options outlined in the PGA’s Summary of the Structured Dialogues and the SG’s Synthesis Report?