Conferences and summits: Harnessing Science, Technology and Innovation for sustainable development in Africa

The project Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Roadmaps in Africa aims to foster more inclusive and sustainable societies across the continent, drawing on STI to address societal, environmental, and economic challenges linked to the SDGs.

This side event of the 2025 United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) will highlight the collaborative effort between the European Commission and 5 African countries to design tailored STI for SDGs roadmaps and address specific challenges:

• The Gambia: improving food self-sufficiency
• Mauritius: reducing noncommunicable diseases
• Namibia: increasing resilience of rural communities to climate change
• Rwanda: fostering food systems transformation to enhance food security
• Seychelles: enhancing energy efficiency and uptake of renewable energy in the investment and industrial sector

The event will provide an opportunity for exchange amongst speakers and contributors from diverse backgrounds, including representatives of African countries engaged in the STI for SDGs roadmaps initiative and other international partners. The event will be hybrid.

Programme

When: Tuesday 6 May 2025, 13:15 - 14:45 (EDT)

Where: Delegation of the EU to the United Nations in New York, 666 Third Avenue, 31st Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States

Livestream: Starts on Tuesday 6 May 2025, 19:15 (CEST)

Schedule

• 13:00 - 13:15 (EDT) Welcome and registration
• 13:15 - 13:45 (EDT) Opening remarks
• 13:45 - 14:35 (EDT) Panel discussion: sharing experiences from the STI4SDG roadmaps process and taking the STI agenda forward at the UN
• 14:35 - 14:45 (EDT) Closing remarks

The project seeks to strengthen STI capacities and policies in Africa, fostering more inclusive and sustainable societies across the continent, and contributes to the work of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Team on STI for SDGs.

The STI for SDGs roadmaps are strategic policy frameworks that harness Science, Technology, and Innovation to address societal, environmental, and economic challenges relevant to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.