Background

The African Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum was established pursuant to resolution 961 (LI), of 15 May 2018, of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, in which the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the African Union Commission and other partners, was called upon to take all steps necessary to organize on a regular basis a multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation as an input into the work of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.

Eighth African Science, Technology and Innovation Forum

Targeted applications of science, technology and innovation in Africa are driving progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through scalable models: for example, a national drone delivery system in Rwanda has revolutionized medical logistics; a majority of new off-grid solar connections have been made possible in Kenya thanks to the integration of mobile money; a massive solar complex is boosting the potential for renewable electricity and green hydrogen production in Morocco; and the Earth observation capabilities of the African Space Agency are enhancing climate and resource management across the continent.

Theme

The theme of the eighth Forum will be “Achieving progress towards the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 through transformative and coordinated actions in science, technology and digital innovation”. The theme complements the theme of the twelfth session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, “Turning the tide: transformative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063”.

Objective

The overall objective of the eighth Forum is to conduct the regional follow-up, including a review of progress made on Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17 and in relation to actions agreed in previous forums, in order to identify potential mechanisms and measures that countries can deploy to scale up action, facilitate peer learning and advance transformative solutions to accelerate achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations and goals of Agenda 2063.

Expected outputs

The eighth Forum is expected to generate the following outputs:

1. Report of the eighth Forum to inform the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development and the multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals;
2. Outcome documents from the special sessions and events;
3. General guidance on special initiatives and their growth, such as the Origin Research and Innovation Labs and the Alliance for Entrepreneurial Universities in Africa.

Expected outcomes

The eighth Forum is specifically designed to foster the diffusion of technology and innovation and the scaling-up of policy and operational efforts needed to accelerate the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda. In particular, the following will be the main tangible and intangible outcomes of the Forum:

1. Establishment of collaborative arrangements and partnerships among African universities and their partners inside and outside Africa;
2. Platforms for the exchange among public and private partners of information on research, funding, innovations and institutions to accelerate technology transfer;
3. Opportunities to showcase high-impact technologies, innovators, firms, and research and development institutions that are making significant contributions to development.

Participants

The meeting will be attended by representatives of African States Members of the United Nations, the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, regional economic communities, civil society, business and industry organizations, academic and research institutions, entities of the United Nations system and other international stakeholders.

Documents

Concept Note [English] [French]