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漏 Brent Stirton/Getty Images for FAO, CIRAD, CIFOR, WCS

With just over 60 months left to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), more equitable access to science, technology and innovation may offer the most effective way to improve the lives of the people who are living in the world鈥檚 poorest countries.

While there has been some progress during the last decade, less than a fifth of the SDGs are on track to be fully achieved. Global challenges including COVID-19 pandemic, growing conflicts and ongoing climate-related disasters have slowed鈥� and even stalled progress, and time is running out.

For the Least Developed Countries or the world鈥檚 poorest states (LDCs) that face unique challenges, these 60 months are critical. Burdened by debt, dependent on external financing and highly vulnerable to external shocks including climate-induced disasters, LDCs have few buffers to protect them from global crises.

This is where the United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries (UNTB) can step in and help them to fast-track progress. Science, technology, and innovation offer a powerful and enabling toolkit that can materially improve the lives of the world鈥檚 poorest people. The UNTB is the sole United Nations entity dedicated to enhancing the science, technology and innovation capacities of LDCs. The UNTB plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to knowledge, technologies, and technical assistance essential for accelerated sustainable development.

We do this by conducting demand-driven Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) to assist LDCs in identifying the key areas where they can take advantage of technological opportunities to advance their development. We design technology transfer projects and programmes based on the findings and recommendations of TNAs and ensure that the support provided by the UNTB is tailored to specific sectors in which technological solutions will deliver results. In addition, we help forge partnerships and mobilize resources for science, technology and innovation to boost human resource capacities and deliver low- cost, high impact solutions.

The UN Technology Bank is younger than the SDGs, having become operational just six years ago. We have so far conducted 15 TNAs, with three more in the pipeline. Working with our partners, we have provided over 100 industrial design scholarships to students from 22 LDCs, facilitated the screening of 75,000 children for hearing impairments, and helped with treatment for over 2,000 children for hearing loss in Bhutan. We have also supported the establishment of science academies in Angola, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi. These are just a few examples of our work, and we are ramping up our support to deliver more to our client countries.

The next five years are pivotal. As the world increasingly relies on science, technology and innovation to tackle complex development problems, the UNTB is uniquely positioned to make a difference, with a mandate to act for the world鈥檚 poorest countries. We also know that to deliver results, working with partners is key. We are committed to building partnerships to deliver results on the ground and in people鈥檚 lives.

By embracing technological solutions, fostering innovation, and building partnerships, LDCs can overcome development barriers, and potentially leap-frog traditional obstacles, opening entirely new pathways for growth and investment. Time is short. But with bold political will, strategic partnerships, sustained investment, and renewed international commitment, science, technology and innovation can shift the dial for the world鈥檚 poorest.

This opinion piece from UN Technology Bank Managing Director Deodat Maharaj was published in SDG Digest, Issue 20, December 2024.