Posted on October, 26, 2021 at 08:54 am
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera says the world today is faced with challenges like climate change, poverty, food insecurity as well as health threats like the COVID-19 pandemic which require innovative solutions to be addressed.
Delivering his keynote address at the opening of the Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community G-STIC, The Malawi leader said as such, it is necessary to democratise the global advancements in technology and innovation to accelerate the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by all nations.
"Technology and innovation are the surest way of guaranteeing that no nation is left behind, guaranteeing that no nation misses the train of human progress. Technology and innovation are the new Cuneiform that we must make available to a world that is still largely operating on Hieroglyphics models of social order." Said the President.
He added, "The undoubtedly critical role of Science, Technology and Innovation has been clearly defined in many development policies at Global, Regional and National levels. From the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union Agenda 2063 with STISA 2024 as a medium-term development psulan, the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan to the new Malawi 2063."
President Chakwera further said the African Union Agenda 2063 recognizes Science, Technology and Innovation as multi-functional tools and enablers for achieving continental development goals in areas like agriculture, affordable and clean energy, education and health among others.
At this point Dr Chakwera said the Malawi government developed the Malawi 2063 vision in line with the AU agenda 2063 to focus on three pillars of Agriculture and Commercialization; Industrialization and Urbanization; Science, Technology and Innovation are embodied as enablers of that vision, whose aim is to make Malawi an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation by the year 2063.
"For that to happen, we believe that Malawi's industrialization must be driven by research, science and technology development. Toward that end, Malawi has implemented its second Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, with such success stories as the establishment of the National 11 Commission for Science and Technology establishment of the Malawi University of Science and Technology.
"The setting up of Malawi Academy of Sciences; the promotion of Women and Girls in science, engineering, technology and innovation; the profiling of Science, Technology and Innovation in the development planning of Malawi; and the construction of a national fibre backbone to make internet services nationally accessible. As such, we have laid a foundation for global partnerships and investments in new technologies that will fast track sustainable development goals and give investors access to an exciting new market in the SADC region in general and in Malawi in particular," he concluded.
The Global Sustainable Technology and Innovation Community G-STIC Conference is one of the world's largest conferences and key meeting places where technological solutions for achieving the United Nations SDGs are discussed.
Source: MBC