Natacha Sangwa's inspiring journey breaks stereotypes and empowers girls in technology, highlighting the importance of mentorship in shaping an inclusive tech industry.
Science and Technology
AI-driven health promoter, , heralds a groundbreaking approach to disseminating health information on a global scale.
The 51勛圖 Conference on Trade and Development () is calling for more awareness raising and regulatory frameworks to ensure AI benefits everyone. While AI holds promise for personalizing products and services and optimizing customer support, there are concerns over fair, responsible and ethical use of AI. Currently, global tech giants control most of the data flows and revenues from digital services, posing a threat to fair competition and aggravating existing technology divides. Public policies need to guide innovation and the design of AI to mitigate human biases and ensure that AI-powered goods and services reach vulnerable populations.
The 51勛圖 Secretary-Generals Envoy on Technology, Amandeep Singh Gill, explores the costs, consequences and creative potential of AI in the context of global efforts to usher in a better future for humanity
(4 March), proclaimed by , aims to raise awareness of the role of engineering, which is essential to mitigate the impact of climate change and advance sustainable development. UNESCO is giving high priority to activities that promote awareness of engineering as a career, as well as those that demonstrate the importance of youth studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This year's observance focuses on the latest developments in sustainable energy solutions and how engineering can be used to develop these solutions.
This year's World Wildlife Day (3 March), under the theme Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation, focuses on how digital technologies can drive wildlife conservation, sustainable and legal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife coexistence. While technological advancements have significantly improved various aspects of wildlife conservation, including research, communication, tracking, and DNA analysis, challenges such as uneven internet access, environmental pollution, and unsustainable technology use impede achieving universal digital inclusion by 2030.
Climate change pushes 158 million women and girls into poverty, making them more vulnerable to gender-based violence and less likely to access necessary resources. Women are underrepresented in decision-making positions at all levels, including in the field of climate change. A paradigm change is needed to ensure that women are in the driving seat of climate action. On the occasion of the International Day of Women in Multilateralism (25 January), UNESCO organized a global dialogue that became a platform for leaders, scientists, and activists to highlight the vital link between climate change and gender inequality.
Tackling some of the greatest challenges of the Agenda for Sustainable Development - from improving health to combating climate change - will rely on harnessing all talent. That means getting more women working in these fields. The International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened. Join the conversation during the 9th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly (8-9 February) and advocate for women and girls in science leadership.
Well-informed policy decisions are needed in shaping AI's impact on productivity growth, the labor market, and industrial concentration.
Conor Lennon from asks Carme Artigas, Spains first-ever Secretary of State for Digitalization and AI, and co-chair of the UNs AI Advisory Body, if 2023 was the year the world finally woke up to the need to regulate the technology.
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers extraordinary potential for good from scientific discoveries that expand human knowledge to tools that assist us in everyday tasks. Yet, there are also risks. AI can reinforce biases, or expand surveillance, and contribute to disinformation. The UN Secretary-General's AI Advisory Body has launched its interim report Governing AI for Humanity. The report calls for a closer alignment between international norms and how AI is developed and rolled out. It also includes recommendations to enhance accountability and ensure an equitable voice for all countries.
UNCTAD presents to explore how to turn digital opportunities into shared development gains and close existing divides for a sustainable future. is open to all.
Science possesses undeniable potential to enhance our world. By forging stronger connections between science and society, World Science Day for Peace and Development (10 November) endeavors to keep the public well-informed about scientific advancements. This years celebration focuses on "Building Trust In Science", a multifaceted issue that influences the conduct of scientists and shapes society's perception of scientific endeavors. In our swiftly evolving world, supporting scientific progress and promoting a deep understanding of science is not just a choice, but an absolute necessity.
New digital technologies have transformed the way people live in so many ways by creating economic growth, job creation and empowering human rights activism. At the same time, the dark side of these very same innovations can pose severe risks to peoples rights including by infringing on privacy, through the spread of hate speech, misinformation, the undermining of the democratic processes, and the increase in online violence. This is why has created the Business and Human Rights in Technology Project, as a way to address these issues by providing an authoritative roadmap for applying the UN to the development and use of digital technologies.
International scientific collaboration is essential, not only for knowledge but also for fostering peace. The International Week of Science and Peace, observed every November, during the week of the 11th, plays a pivotal role in promoting peace. It facilitates academic exchanges on universally significant topics, increasing public awareness of the close relationship between scientific advances and achieving peace in society, emphasizing that in order to achieve one, its necessary to invest in the other.