https://www.unescap.org/events/commission80
The eightieth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will be held from 22 to 26 April 2024 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.
Guided by the theme “Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, the eightieth session will be an opportunity to strengthen region-wide cooperative action on leveraging digital innovation for the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The session will bring together government leaders and ministers from across Asia and the Pacific and other key stakeholders to discuss how digital innovation can more inclusively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across multiple disciplines.
Moreover, participants will be able to identify opportunities to fully unleash the transformative potential of digital innovations and discuss pathways to strengthen their contribution to sustainable development. A digital innovations fair will provide space to engage with a broad range of partners and stakeholders showcasing digital innovations that are already contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across the region.
Asia and the Pacific is uniquely placed to leverage digital technologies to overcome sustainable development challenges. Already, the region is recognized as a dynamic hub for digitally driven innovation fueled by pioneering technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Digital Finance, GovTech, and the Internet of Things. Yet to encourage further ingenuity and tap digital innovation to bolster the huge collective effort required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the region needs a plan.
Against this background, the theme study examines existing digital innovations which have accelerated progress towards sustainable development and explores ways to build on their successes. It proposes a framework to understand the interlinkages between digital innovation and sustainable development, investigates current and emerging practices, explores how an enabling environment might be created and provides recommendations for regional cooperation. To achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a deliberate, strategic push is required. This report aims to inform this effort, which ESCAP stands ready to support every step of the way.
