STI Forum Side Event "Digitalization to Achieve the SDGs: Promoting effective and coherent UN support through mapping and country level initiatives"

The FAO/WHO Global Individual Food consumption data Tool (FAO/WHO GIFT) has been selected following a Mapping of Digital-Related Initiatives Across the UN System, where 489 inputs from 39 UN entities were received. To highlight the outcomes and initiatives of the mapping, the Office of Secretary General's Envoy on Technology and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs are organizing a side event at this year’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum (5-6 May 2022). This event will explore how more effective and coherent UN support to Member States on digital is critically needed, as well as promote further awareness of how digital technologies play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs.

In this Decade of Action, we must better utilize the potential of digital technologies to narrow digital divides in order to leave no one behind and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In better responding to Member States’ needs, the United Nations system strives tobring about “a more coherent and strategic approach” to digital issues, as emphasized by the Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation; including its various parts better harnessing digital technologies to fulfill their mandates. The Roadmap for Digital Cooperation also stresses the importance of coordinated and coherent global digital capacity-building efforts, along side matching efforts at the national level, especially through the United Nations' presence on the ground.

This event will thus explore how more effective and coherent UN support to Member States on digital is critically needed, as well as promote further awareness of how digital technologies play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs. The Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology and DESA will present the initial results from their joint initiative – a UN system wide mapping of digital-related initiatives, with almost 500 submissions received fromacross the system; while UN system entities will also showcase key projects and programmes to illustrate how digitalization can help facilitate the achievement of socio-economic and environmental, sustainable development, with a specific focus on country-level needs. Resident coordinators will also speak from their experiences in this regard.

The Acting Envoy on Technology, ASG Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, will open the event. Herremarks will be followed by a presentation of the UN-system wide mapping, reflections from Resident Coordinators, and contributions from UN entities, including FAO, ITU, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP, UN-Habitat, WFP, and others.

Registration for the event is available at the following link: https://whova.com/portal/registration/mfsta_202205/