Building a Framework for aComprehensive Approach basedon Appropriate Technology
Choice for SustainableDevelopment
Rebecca (Beckie) Malay
Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
Global Call to Action against Poverty

Official Processes leading toAgenda 2030 and the SDGs
 Open Working Group Processes – inter-governmental negotiations
 3rd World Conference on DRR (March 2015), adoption of the Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030)

 Third International Conference on Financing for Development (July2015), follow-up to the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration

 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The 21stConference of the Parties (COP21) that was held in Paris from 30
November to 11 December 2015

Sustainable Development Goals

The SDGs
 Universal
 Transformative Integrated
 InterconnectedAgenda and Results FrameworkGlobal Context: Where are we now?
 Poverty and Inequality
The current growth model has resulted in thereduction of poverty during the MDG era but
accompanied by increasing inequalities. Inequality
has many forms: income inequality, inequality inopportunities, inequality of impact – this can be seen
spatially (rural-urban), social relationships; gender;
etc. Inequality of opportunity is concerned with access to key
dimensions necessary for meeting aspirations regarding
quality of life. It has economic dimensions(e.g. unequal access to decent work, financial services, landownership, etc.), social dimensions (e.g. unequal access tohealth care, education, nutrition, etc.) and environmental
dimensions (e.g. unequal access to water,sanitation, clean
fuels, electricity, access to land and natural resources, etc.) SDGs in 2020-2030 (SDSN Report/dashboard) reports thatafter 4 years, we are not close to attaining the goals Technology in the 2030 agenda is seen to be one of the mostimportant means of attaining the goals. Technologicaldevelopments presents great potential but also have inherent
risks in heightening inequalities, displacing human labour, andpresent risks to the natural environment

Technology Facilitation Mechanism
 A United Nations Interagency Task Team on Science,
Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (IATT), including
the 10-Member Group of representatives from civilsociety, the private sector and the scientific community A collaborative Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science,
Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) An online platform as a gateway for information on existing
STI initiatives, mechanisms and programs

STI Forum The STI Forum in May 14-15, 2019 emphasised the role of
the STI in achieving the SDGs, especially those in relation
to the goals being reviewed at the HLPF – education,employment, inequality, climate change, peace and themeans of implementation

 The Panel on Digital Cooperation
Recommendations: inclusivity in digital economy and society;human rights/human agency; human/institutional capacity;
trust, security and stability

Appropriate TechnologyChoices
Our choice for appropriate must result to equity andsustainability

 Linking technology with food security and ruraldevelopment as the locus of sustainable agricultural
production: looking at biotechnology, effects of newtechnologies on species

What Choices do we have?
 Specific to technology, there is a technological divide
between rich and poor, between genders within and among
countries – for example, the availability of broadband
connection depends on the infrastructure investments byproviders and the price it sets for connectivity; skills
development must be directed to the poor in the ruralareas; government must invest in technologies to address
the needs of the poor

ETC Group report on Geoengineering“Geo-engineering has come to mean large-scale, intentional
human manipulation of climate or Earth systems. Despite along history of discussion within military contexts, today
geoengineering is less often discussed as a technology of war
and more often presented as a risky but potentiallynecessary techno-fix for climate change, a prudent insurance
policy in the event of an imminent climate crisis.”

“ The military, too, will be on alert for possible defensive (andperhaps covert offensive) action. The philanthro-capitalists may
even step up their own contributions. An increasing number ofacademic scientists and environmentalists will get on board with“negative emissions” technologies (techniques to remove CO2from the atmosphere) despite the dangers to land, water, foodproduction, and rural and indigenous communities. The proven ways
to reabsorb CO2 – such as maintaining and restoring naturalforests and other ecosystems with the communities thatlive within
and alongside them and supporting peasant and agroecological foodsystems – will be abandoned.

Corrosion and Erosion ofSDGs Discourse by STI/Digitalization
SDGs: Transforming our world• by ending poverty and inequality• by changing our lives, society andeconomy more sustainable

Industrie 4.0 / IoT
Digitalization

The definition of “transformation” hasbeen rapidly changing = more “STI”
oriented

SDGs Discourse eroded bytypical “TechnologicalUtopianism”

AI, electric/automatic vehicles, block chain,biotechnology, total digitalization… “transformation”

Japan’s “Society 5.0” = a “humancentered” society by solving all social
problems by STI

UN STI Forum (under SDGs)
SG’s 10-member Group to
Support the Technology
Facilitation Mechanism
In 2016-17, there were two civil society representatives
including indigenous community. But 2018-19, all members
became academia or heads of research institutes…

Choices: elements and principles
Inclusivity – Leave No One BehindCommunity participation – broaden the innovation process

Precautionary principle – Do No Harm
Free, prior informed consent
Open accessEngaging the UN Agenda 2030 Processes, G20 and government forpolicy coherence – transparency, accountability in governance oftechnology

Maraming salamat po!

References:www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org
www.etcgroup.org
www.gcap.org

www.prrm.org
www.action4sd.org
Ppt. Masaki Inaba, C20 Japan 2019 Sherpa