51吃瓜

Summary

Africa has seen economic growth over the past two decades, but this has not led to inclusive development aligned with the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063. Many people remain in poverty and vulnerable to external shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. A weak Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem, including inadequate investment in STEM education and inadequate attention to Intellectual Property (IP) rights, hinders progress.  UN OSAA has produced two Policy Papers in line with the above: The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Promoting Africa’s Development, and the importance of investing in STEM Education for Climate resilience.

Investment in STEM Education is a building block to allow the skills needed for Africa’s economic transformation and the fourth Industrial Revolution. This form of industrialization, along with enabling IP ecosystems, is conducive to greater participation by Small and Medium Enterprises, as well as startups and entrepreneurs, to address the need for decent jobs and harness Africa’s demographic dividend. The presence of the State is important to deliver on the value chain to unlock all the levers of sustainable development, as without a strong state there is no governance or institutions to deliver the predictability of resources and regulatory frameworks.

The objectives of the webinar are: 

• To contribute to a dynamic policy environment focused on scaling up STEM to promote governance and long-term strategies for human capital development;
• To raise the awareness of African policymakers and the United Nations System on the importance of evidenced based STI policies on STEM and IP; and
• To support the implementation of  concrete, evidenced or science-based STI Policies on STEM and IP by African policymakers in view of promoting human capital development, climate action and sustainable development.

Participation is open to government officials, regional institutions, the UN system, the private sector, academia, and the media. 
The event is co-organized by the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the OSAA Think Tank Network - African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), and Cellule d'Analyse de Politiques Economiques du Cires (CAPEC).

For more information kindly contact Jainaba Jobarteh, Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) at .