UN Interagency Task Team on STI for the SDGs (IATT) (2024)

The UN interagency task team on STI for the SDGs (IATT)is mandated to “promote coordination, coherence, and cooperation within the UN System on STI related matters, enhancing synergy and efficiency, in particular to enhance capacity-building initiatives”. It was initiatedby UNDESA UNEPand initially comprised several UN entities, including UNDESA, UNEP, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNCTAD, ITU, WIPO and the World Bank. It was later opened to the participation of all United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council. Since then, the IATT membership has continued to increase. At present, it has 47 UN entities and 150 staff members active in ten workstreams (see below). The IATT is primarily working-level cooperation among expert staff and has been a catalyst for an unprecedented level of cooperation and information flow on science and technology issues in the UN system. DESA and UNCTAD are the coordinators of the IATT.

The IATT is one of the components of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM):

Terms of Reference:

• Terms of Reference for the UN Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (Adopted on 22 October 2015)

Policy Briefs:

• #1: Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs Roadmaps - Framework and Working Method
• #2:Assessment of STI capabilities to meet prioritized SDGs
• #3:Assessment of Human Capital Needs for STI R&D and Other STI Skills
• #4:Harnessing Ghana youth innovation potential for the SDGs
• #5Financial Flows to Promote Technology Transfers and Gender Inclusiveness for SIDS
• #6Localised Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for SDGs Roadmaps in Ukraine
• #7Enhancing the sustainable development component in the Action Plan of the STI for SDGs Roadmap in Serbia

Background Papers:

• Background Paper 1 - An Overview of the UN Technology Initiatives
• Background Paper 2 - Options of An Online Platform of a Technology Facilitation Mechanism
• Background Paper 3 - Landscape of Science, Technology and Innovation initiatives for the SDGs

Work Streams:

Members of the Inter-agency Task Team

• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) (Coordinator)
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (Coordinator)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology(ICGEB)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• International Trade Centre (ITC)
• United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC)
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Africa (UNESCWA)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• United Nations Global Pulse
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
• United Nations Innovation Network (UNIN)
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
• United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
• United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
• United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP)
• United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
• United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC)
• United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UNOHRLLS)
• United Nations Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology
• United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT)
• United Nations Regional Commissions New York Office (RCNYO)
• United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
• United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB Secretariat )
• United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC)
• United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries
• United Nations University - MERIT
• United Nations Women (UN Women)
• United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
• World Bank Group
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)

IATT Coordinators

Mr. Wei Liu
Division for Sustainable Development Goals
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
S-26th floor, United Nations Secretariat Building,
New York, NY 10017, USA
liuw[at]un[dot]org

Mr. Dimo Calovski
Science, Technology, and ICT Branch
Division on Technology and Logistics
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Palais des Nations,1211 Geneva 10,Switzerland
dimo.calovski[at]unctad[dot]org