H.E. Amb. Paula Narváez the President of Economic and Social Council,
Co-facilitators,
Excellencies and colleagues,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The Group wishes to express its highest appreciation to the President of ECOSOC, and the two co-Chairs for convening this very important Forum, which provides an open platform to explore ways to harness science, technology, and innovation for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

The major challenges facing developing countries today in this area are conditioned, inter alia, by the unjust prevailing international economic order and the current international financial architecture; the dramatic and simultaneous increase in extreme poverty and wealth; the growing weight of external debt; the fragility of health and education systems; unilateral coercive measures; the multiple crises, including the economic and financial crisis; the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; conflicts; food and energy insecurity; market volatility; inflation; the tightening of monetary policies; the digital divides; and persistent environmental challenges with no clear roadmap so far to correct the systemic deficiencies of the global economy.

Excellency,

To strengthen the means of implementation, and to revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, the importance of Official Development Aid needs to be reconsidered and emphasized.

In 2022, net ODA flows by member countries of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) reached $206 billion, marking an increase of 15.3 per cent in real terms from 2021. This was the fourth consecutive year ODA surpassed its record levels, and one of the highest growth rates recorded in its history. However, total ODA as a percentage of gross national income continues to remain below the target of 0.7 per cent, reaching 0.37 per cent in 2022.

The increase was primarily due to domestic spending on refugees and aid for Ukraine. Refugee costs in donor countries amounted to $29.3 billion in 2022, representing 14.2 per cent of DAC member countries' total ODA. Net ODA to Ukraine accounted for $16.1 billion, representing 7.8 per cent of total ODA. Initial estimates indicate that DAC countries spent $11.2 billion on activities related to COVID-19, down by 45 per cent compared with 2021. Net bilateral ODA flows to developing countries experienced a real-term decline of more than 7.4 per cent compared with 2021.

We therefore urge developed countries to fulfill their unmet Official Development Assistance commitments and further emphasize the need to increase ODA for scientific, technological, and innovative capacities.

Excellency,

The youth play a pivotal role in Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.

Globally, people under the age of 45 are significantly underrepresented in parliament, relative to their share of national populations. Although the average eligible age to serve in parliament is 23 years, the proportion of members of parliament (MPs) aged 30 and under has remained at about 2-2.6 per cent for the past five years. While the global median age is just over 30 years, the average age of an MP is 51 years. Young MPs hold limited leadership positions, with less than 9 per cent serving as speaker and 17.4 per cent as committee chairs. To increase the participation of younger parliamentarians, efforts must include introducing quotas or lowering the age of eligibility. Having younger parliamentarians is key to creating better STI policies.

Excellency,

To take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, there is need to educate the youth on climate change.

Students and youth globally are demanding climate action and comprehensive and quality climate education to prepare them for a sustainable future. Nearly all countries (94 per cent) report that climate change education is included in their curricula. However, evidence suggests otherwise. An analysis of national curriculum frameworks in 100 countries reveals that nearly half (47 per cent) do not even mention climate change. While 95 per cent of teachers acknowledge the importance of teaching students about climate change severity, only about one-third can effectively explain the effects of climate change in their region. Furthermore, 70 per cent of youth can, at best, explain only the broad principles of climate change. One in five youth feels unprepared for climate change based on their education and is asking for more information to grasp its complexities. Youth have emphasized the need for interdisciplinary, action-oriented education that is both globally relevant and tailored to local realities, along with adequate teacher support. Through optimizing STI, youth can be better educated to take on climate change in their communities and beyond.

Science, technology, and innovation, including information and communication technologies, have become central to addressing global challenges and are one of the driving mechanisms of the transformation to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. We emphasize that Unilateral Coercive Measures not only undermine the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, but also severely impede the advancement of science, technology and innovation and the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries, and reiterate the urgent need to eliminate them immediately.

We further stress that technology transfer is one of the core priorities of the developing countries in implementing 2030 Agenda. Therefore, we reiterate the need to accelerate the transfer of technology on favorable terms including on concessional and preferential terms.

Excellency,

It is therefore pertinent to continue to address this issue in international debates and to advocate for the interests of Developing countries continuously and strongly, and for their claims and aspirations to be considered.

Allow me to conclude by wishing this Forum all success and expressing the Group's commitment to engage constructively in areas related to science, technology, and innovation.

Thank you!