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Business as usual is not an option if the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are to be met. The scale and depth of the goals require a radically different and disruptive approach—the essence of innovation—along with significant scientific breakthroughs and technological advancements. Science, technology and innovation (STI) have the potential to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of our efforts to meet the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda and create benefits for society, the economy and the environment. Numerous innovations, such as pneumococcal vaccines, microfinance and green technologies, have been developed and have spread around the world at an unrelenting pace over the last few decades, improving health, providing economic opportunities and addressing climate change. Digital technologies like mobile phones and the Internet have created an era where ideas, knowledge and data flow more freely than ever before, offering new avenues for collaborative and open approaches to innovation and providing real opportunities for this innovation to be truly inclusive.
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In the closing months of 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its most ambitious, all-encompassing agenda ever attempted, to guide the advancement of humankind for the next 15 years. Collectively known as the “2030 Agenda”, the agreements call on all countries to advance the welfare of their citizens in a sustainable manner to ensure the long-term viability of all development and growth. A key means of implementation of these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the effective use of science, technology and innovation (STI).
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This publication was prepared under the overall direction and guidance of Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Hongjoo Hahm, Deputy Executive Secretary, provided valuable advice and comments. The publication was coordinated by a core team under the direction of Susan F. Stone, Director of the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division. The core team, led by Jonathan Wong, included Teemu Puutio and Luca Parisotto. Phadnalin Ngernlim, Trade, Investment and Innovation Division, undertook all administrative processing necessary for the issuance and launch of the publication.
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In the closing months of 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted an ambitious, all-encompassing agenda to guide the advancement of humankind for the next 15 years. Collectively known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (or “2030 Agenda”), the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 7 action areas of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda call on all countries to advance the welfare of their citizens in a sustainable manner to ensure the long-term viability of all development and growth. A key means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda is the effective use of science, technology and innovation (STI).
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Governments in the region should carefully consider this publication and develop action plans tailored to their specific objectives, context and level of STI development. This publication makes five broad recommendations, within which more detailed action items are enumerated. For these action items to have real meaning, they must be supported by stakeholders across the political spectrum and, importantly, be associated with explicit time bounds. As member States have committed to a 15-year time horizon (the 2030 Agenda), these recommendations have been categorized as short-term (1 year), medium-term (3 years) and longterm (5 years).
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