Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation address: 8th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation in New York

SOUTH AFRICA’S PARTICIPATION IN THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION IN AFRICA DAY 2023 AND THE 8TH MULTI-STAKEHOLDER FORUM ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE FROM 2 TO 4 MAY 2023 AT THE UNITED NATION’S HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation address:

8th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Date: 03 May 2023

Time: 10:00 - 10:50

President of Ecosoc, His Excellency Ambassador Stoevag;

Co-Chairs of the STI Forum, H.E Ms Mathu Joyini, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations; and H.E. Mr Thomas Woodroffe, United Kingdom Ambassador to the UN Economic and Social Council

Your excellencIes

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

I feel privileged to be part of this important event to deliberate on how Science, Technology and Innovation can continue to play a critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; hence the theme: “Innovating to deliver the SDGs”.  

If the progress on the implementation of the SDGs was slow before the pandemic, then we must be seriously worried that the majority of the SDG targets will not be met by 2030. The concerns herein demonstrate the seriousness with which the implementation of the SDGs have been affected; and even threatening to reverse the gains that have been made.  Urgent and concerted action is needed to set the world back on a trajectory towards achieving our critical health objectives.

Yes, we have made some progress.  The successes we have made in responding to this pandemic can be attributed directly to STI interventions, including Science Diplomacy which has allowed science and innovation to take centre stage in the management of transnational challenges even when there were shifting geo-political dynamics.  

Science Diplomacy truly demonstrated that it is an important tool that can be used to address global challenges and bring the world together to deal with intractable challenges we face. We should continue to advocate for Science Diplomacy and the use of STI to solve the socio-economic ills that we face.

The lessons that we can take from the pandemic is that COVID-19 has highlighted the vital role and contribution of research, development and innovation in informing policy and addressing health challenges not only in South Africa, but across the globe.  The pandemic has also highlighted long-standing weaknesses in the pharmaceutical system. For example, (only three facilities in Africa are capable of producing any of the active pharmaceutical ingredients needed to create drugs from scratch).

Having said that, I want to reiterate that Collaborative Partnerships remain critical because they provide STI systems with greater agility to respond to future challenges.  This includes the sharing of knowledge and information hence we should all support the UNESCO resolution on Open Science. 

This is imperative because the ability to create, distribute and exploit knowledge has become a major source of competitive advantage, wealth creation and improvements in the quality of life. If we do not embrace Open Science, we risk those without access to knowledge to be left behind.  As you know, the rallying call for the SDGs is that “No one should be left behind”. 

Innovating to deliver the SDGs as the theme suggests will require an interface between Science Diplomacy and Economic Diplomacy.  Science, technology and innovation have long been important drivers for economic growth and human development.  

We have seen innovation playing a critical role in the rapid growth of advanced and emerging economies, however, there are growing concerns that the benefits of technology led economic development have not reached all countries and members of society equitably. 

Increasingly, science, technology and innovation are now key to improving economic performance and social well-being.  However, if governments are to reap the benefits from this transformation, we will have to put the appropriate policies in place; to help us overcome the unintended consequences of rapid technological change and the frontier technologies it comes with it.  

While we welcome the rapid technological change, it must indeed be aligned and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, because there is always a danger that it can widen inequalities initially. This is because not everyone has access to the benefits of technological change at the same time.  

Recently, we have seen subdued global economic growth which invariably will affect the progress that will be made in the attainment of the SDGs.  As a global scientific community, we have a responsibility to make sure that even during phases of economic slowdown, science, technology and innovation should support the objectives of sustainability and improved living conditions of all countries.  

There is a need to ensure that institutional arrangements are put in place to ensure synergy between the role that science plays and the paths and strategies that we adopt for economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

Our in interventions on science and innovation is contained in our Decadal Plan which provides for amongst others, climate change, alternative source of energy and renewable sources of energies such as Hydrogen economy. The Decadal Plan also  provides for our response to health challenges, amongst others through the Centre for study of pandemics and production of local vaccines. It also guarantees the future of education and work, which includes the production of skills for the future. It also provides for the modernization of industry, such as agriculture in the context of drought, new mining technologies. Lastly, provides for the centrality of partnerships in South Africa, Africa and the rest of the world.

I thank you very much.