24th Plenary Meeting of Economic and Social Council 2018 Session

“Innovative communities: leveraging technology and innovation to build sustainable and resilient societies” - ECOSOC, 2018 Integration Segment, 24th plenary meeting.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Economic and Social Council
• Video Length: 02:25:56
• Production Date: 3 May 2018
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Corporate Name: AFRICAN UNION - AU; ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL - ECOSOC
• Subject Topical: 2030 AGENDA; AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT; COMMODITIES; EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE; INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY; INNOVATION; PUBLIC HEALTH
• Geographic Subject: AFRICA; LIBERIA
• MAMS Id: 2144173
• Parent Id: 2143507

Description

This session addressed the particular challenges of African countries. Africa faces enormous development challenges in the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The volatility of oil and other commodity prices further demonstrated the continent’s vulnerability to global economic shocks due to reliance on a narrow base of raw-commodity exports.

The Ebola virus crisis illustrated the urgent need to build resilient health systems, including through promoting R&D for public health needs and using technologies for data collection and dissemination of information. Tackling the digital divide, building the capacity of data systems, boosting productive capacity and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship will be critical for maximizing the role of technology and innovation in boosting resilience and inclusive growth in Africa.

Against this background, panelists explored the synergies between the 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 to build sustainable and resilient societies. The discussion explored how
technological and innovative solutions applied to specific contexts have the potential to mitigate a significant number of vulnerabilities of the continent, spurring progress towards the SDGs. The session showcased concrete examples and initiatives.