Post-2015 joint FfD and post-2015 session, 21-24 April — No 6: Technology facilitation mechanism and other science, technology and innovation issues

The agenda item on the technology facilitation mechanism (TFM) and other science, technology and innovation issues was introduced by the Co-Chairs of the UN General Assembly structured dialogues on possible arrangements for a technology facilitation mechanism (TFM), Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota of Brazil and Ambassador Paul Seger of Switzerland. (For background see Post-2015 joint FfD and post-2015 session, 21-24 April – No 2: Opening statements) 

Ambassador Patriota outlined the process to date, saying that the structured dialogues were intended to pursue focused deliberations on the TFM to find areas of convergence and possible deliverables that have the broad consensus of Member States. Agreement is possible and would be beneficial. The recommendations of the dialogues include the establishment of an online platform that maps existing TFMs, initiatives and processes; the analysis of technology needs and gaps in addressing them; and ensure UN system coordination and coherence on the issue. He welcomed the engagement of the UN system with the dialogues’ recommendations through the establishment of an Interagency Working Group. He also said that the mandate to disseminate “environmentally-sound technologies” is out-dated – hardly any sustainable development goal (SDG) can be achieved without technology transfer, as can be seen in at least 17 targets. The on-line platform, moreover, should provide greater visibility. According to Patriota, there is no clear answer as to how the issue of a TFM will be dealt with in the FfD3 and post-2015 processes, and he therefore suggested producing a TFM deliverable in the post-2015 track while discussing broader, systemic issues of technology in the FfD3 track. 

Ambassador Seger said that there is general agreement that efforts have been undertaken in the field of technology transfer, but that they are largely fragmented. There is a need for greater synergy and coherence. Countries differ greatly in their specific technology needs, and the issue is complex with the main challenge being to match needs with available technologies. Most technology is held by the private sector, not by governments; and he posed the question as to how to engage not only with the private sector but also with academia and non-governmental organizations. In addition, he raised issues such as what such a global mechanism look like; how it should function to facilitate diverse demands and match them; how to use existing structures better; and what mechanism should be created, if there should be one. He also pointed out that innovation happens everywhere and that it should not be a North / South issue. 

Issues raised by Member States included engaging the private sector; building enabling environments for the private sector in countries affected by conflict; whether technology transfer policies could be differentiated for technologies necessary for industrialization and basic services; whether there are technologies that could be considered public goods; the specific role the UN could play; and creating a solutions-oriented psychology. 

Seger responded that it should be remembered that “business is business”; a friendly investment framework would be also a friendly technology transfer framework; it should be possible to distinguish between types of technology; identifying “global goods” technologies and removing related intellectual property rights (IPR) issues could stop innovation; and the UN could create awareness for technology transfer needs. 

Patriota said that the public sector is “generating the brains” for innovation through education and the research infrastructure, and that technology does not belong solely to the private sector, which owns only a part of it. Separating social and industrial technologies is not easy and he recommended avoiding discussions of intellectual property rights regimes because of the diverging views on the issue. 

Ambassador Talbot, Co-facilitator of the FfD process, suggested taking an incremental approach through the Secretary-General’s proposal for an online platform for mapping existing options and focusing on solutions as opposed to barriers. 

Summarizing the discussion, Ambassador Kamau, Co-facilitator, stressed the need to conduct a system-wide analysis to provide knowledge-sharing on solutions; begin to identify the particular science, technology and innovation needs at the country level; identify partnerships between countries and stakeholders to tackle specific issues; and address the broader governance, institutional, and monitoring aspects. He pointed out although technology might be in private hands, it does not necessarily have to be transferred from those hands, and he invited Member States to think about global policies to guide engagement in the area. 

For further information see: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/moiandglobalpartnership and http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/enb3217e.pdf