Opening Plenary - 29th Session, Commission on Science and Technology for Development.

The Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations focal point for science, technology and innovation (STI) for development, in analyzing how STI, including information and communications technologies (ICTs), serve as enablers of the 2030 Agenda.

It acts as a forum for strategic planning, sharing lessons learned and best practices, providing foresight about critical trends in STI in key sectors of the economy, the environment and society, and drawing attention to emerging and disruptive technologies.

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has hosted the secretariat of the commission since 1993.

For the 29th session, the commission will address the priority theme on Science, Technology and Innovation in the age of AI.

The Commission will also review the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society at the regional and international levels, considering the outcome of its 20 years' review; and hear presentations on report on technical cooperation activities in science, technology and innovation and progress report of the multi-stakeholder Working Group on Data Governance at All Levels, as relevant for development.

OPENING PLENARY

Chairperson: H. E. Mr. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Interim Chair of the 29th CSTD
• Election of the Chair of the 29th CSTD and Vice Chair from the East European Group
Agenda item 1
Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters
Chairperson: Mr. Xian Zhang, Chair of the 29th CSTD
• Opening statement by Mr. Pedro Manuel Moreno, Acting Secretary-General, UN
Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Special Address by
o Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, International
Telecommunication Union
o H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of the Economic and Social
Council & Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the
United Nations in New York (Video)

Ministerial Roundtable on the role of science, technology, and innovation in Transformative,
equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable
Development Goals for a sustainable future for all: Contribution of the Commission to the 2026
theme of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum on sustainable
development and the implementation of its 2025 Ministerial Declaration
Moderator: H. E. Mr. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Vice Chair of the 29th CSTD
Briefing by Cochairs of STI Forum 2026 (video)
• H.E. Mr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to
the United Nations & H.E. Mr. Gregor W. Koessler, Permanent Representative of
Austria to the United Nations
Ministerial speakers
• H.E. Mr. Noureddine OUADAH, Minister of the knowledge Economy, Start-ups,
and micro-entreprise, Algeria
• H.E. Ms. Marie Therèse SOMBO AYANE SAFI, Minister of Higher Education,
University Education and Scientific Research, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• H.E. Ms. Gilda Alcívar García, Minister of Education, Sport, and Culture, Ecuador
• H.E. Mr. William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information,
Communications and the Digital Economy, Kenya
• H.E. Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Environment, Science and
Technology, Ghana
• H.E. Mr. Arif Satria, Head of National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia
• H.E. Mr. Bonginkosi Nzimande, Minister of Science Technology and Innovation,
South Africa
Page 3 of 7
• H.E. Mr. Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of
Communications, Cuba
• H.E. Mr. Mohammad Mohsen Sadr, Deputy Minister of Communications and
Information Technology and Head of the Information Technology Organization of Iran
• H.E. Mr. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary, State Department for Science,
Research and Innovation, Kenya
• H.E. Ms. Nilsa Sandra Miquidade, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Communications and Digital Transformation, Mozambique
• H.E. Mr. Michał Gramatyka, Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs, Secretary of State,
Poland
• H.E. Mr. Mohd Sijiamini Mohd (MP), Deputy Minister for Communication,
Information Technology and Innovation, Tanzania
• H.E. Mr. Salomov Uktam Rahimovich, Deputy Minister of Higher Education,
Science and Innovation, Uzbekistan
General Discussion
Location: Av. de la Paix 8-14, 1211 Genève, Switzerland

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