Closing the funding gap: Financing science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Recognizing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as a critical enabler of sustainable development, the First Draft of the International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) Outcome Document lays out an ambitious agenda to leverage its full potential. It calls for increased investment in national STI systems and international collaboration on STI including the areas of digital infrastructure, open science, equitable access to artificial intelligence, and expanded STEM education, particularly for developing countries and marginalized groups. In this context, UNESCO, the International Science Council (ISC) and the Belmont Forum propose a multistakeholder side event at FfD4 to galvanize action around the urgent need to close the STI financing gap. The event will bring together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors to highlight innovative funding mechanisms and identify solutions and opportunities for sustainable, inclusive and equitable STI financing.

The ISC is also involved in Financing STI4SDGs roadmaps: scaling up investments and collaborations towards a sustainable future, another side event part of the FfD4.

Objectives

The specific objectives of the event are as follows:

• Raising awareness of the current STI financing gap and its wide-ranging implications, as well as the urgent need to scale up investment in STI for advancing sustainable development across all dimensions, for the full enjoyment of human rights.
• Showcasing innovative financing mechanisms and science models including missions-driven multistakeholder approaches as well as transformative shifts such as open science, that promote collaborative, transparent and cost-effective STI investments
• Fostering dialogue among diverse stakeholders, including governments, multilateral organizations, philanthropic actors, the private sector, and the scientific community, to identify shared priorities, highlight viable STI financing solutions and drive collective action.
• Championing STI as a strategic priority within the broader financing for development agenda, particularly within the framework of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development.

Proposed agenda

Monday 30 June 2025

Contact

For more information or with questions on the side event, please contact Senior Science Officer, Megha Sud by email at [email protected].

Megha Sud

Megha Sud

Senior Science Officer

International Science Council

Megha Sud

Photo by Marwan Aboul-Zelof on Unsplash