November 2015: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is considering a shortlist of nominees for the ten-member multi-stakeholder advisory group that will comprise part of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM). The UN Interagency Task Team (IATT) for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) considered over 250 nominations for members of the group, identified through an open call to civil society and the private sector.

The advisory group of 10 representatives of civil society, private sector and science is expected to be appointed by the end of November, and announced by the Secretary-General at the Paris Climate Change Conference’s Innovation Day.

At the IATT’s meeting on 22 October 2015, participants suggested that: the ten-member group should include a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB); criteria should include expertise on the various phases of the STI cycle, and on STI on the SDGs, and gender and regional balance, as well as balance among representatives of civil society, private sector (including philanthropies), and the scientific and technological community; and the group’s Terms of Reference should be finalized before contacting the selected candidates.

The Task Team aimed to narrow the 250 candidates to a shortlist of 20 names for consideration by the Secretary-General.

UN Member States decided to establish the TFM in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [Publication: SD in Action Newsletter, November 2015] [Summary of IATT Meeting] [IISD RS Story on IATT Meeting] [TFM Webpage] [IISD RS Story on Call for Nominations]