16 September is not only a significant date for Malaysians. The year 2024, in particular, marks the first time that this day is being celebrated as International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South.
The day was officially proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 9 January in the same year, when it adopted resolution A/RES/78/259 which emphasised the need of utilising scientific, technological and innovative advancements for sustainable development.
‘The South’ refers to the Global South, and in the context of the UN are a group of developing countries from Central and South America, Africa, Oceania and Asia (including Malaysia) that makes up the Group of 77 (or G77; the group now comprises over 130 countries).
So why is such a day to highlight the significance of science, technology and innovation (STI) focuses on these parts of the world?
Undoubtedly, STI has been playing a crucial role in advancing a nation’s socio-economic development and nearly every aspect of our lives.
To exemplify, artificial intelligence, as we have mentioned before, has helped strengthen conservation, improve food security and enhance work capability apart from providing us the convenience to search for information, connect with people and shop online.
Yet not every country globally are progressing at an equal pace through STI. While some developing nations are taking full advantage of science and technology to leapfrog their development process, others, especially in the Global South, are struggling to progress within a rapidly changing environment.

These countries are usually confronted with challenges in governance and efforts to innovate and adapt effectively, which are further compounded by the ongoing disparity in technology availability between them and their industrialised counterparts, mainly because of differences in technological skills and inadequate governance structures to support widespread technology dissemination.
“The International Day of Science, Technology, and Innovation for the South represents an important step in reaffirming our commitment of leaving no one behind.
“It underscores that advancing science, technology, and innovation is essential not only for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also creating a fairer, more participatory, and inclusive world,” states the UN.
STI Advocacy a Continuous Endeavour
The UN through its specialised agencies have be carrying out various initiatives to ensure efforts to champion STI in developing countries are constantly taking place.
Prominently, a target of Goal 17 of the SDGs – “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” – is to bolster STI capacity for least developed countries, which has been achieved with the operationalisation of the United Nations Technology Bank.
The technology bank is set up to support least developed countries in improving their national capacities in STI in order to keep pace with global progress. Presently, it does so in four focus areas: agriculture and food systems; environment, climate change and resilience; health; and education and digital skills.
Additionally, nearly 20 years before the proclamation the International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South, the International Science, Technology, and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC-UNESCO) was established as a result of discussions that was held during the Second South Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the G77 and China in Doha, Qatar in June 2005.

A UNESCO Category 2 Centre, it has been hosted by the Malaysian Government since 2008. ISTIC-UNESCO functions as a global platform that provides sustainable programmes and services to enhance sustainable development for South-South Cooperation, specifically in STI.
Between 2022 and 2027, the centre’s priority agenda concentrates on six major areas, namely STI advocacy, diplomacy and policy; education for sustainable development; open science; artificial and digital innovation; research ecosystems; and climate change education.

References:
Academy of Sciences Malaysia. (n.d.). ISTIC. Official Portal Academy of Sciences Malaysia. https://www.akademisains.gov.my/istic/
Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals. (n.d.). The Global Goals. https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/17-partnerships-for-the-goals/
ISTIC-UNESCO. (n.d.). Frontpage – ISTIC-UNESCO. ISTIC-UNESCO – ISTIC Official Website. https://www.istic-unesco.org/web/
United Nations. (n.d.). International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South. https://www.un.org/en/observances/science-technology-and-innovation-for-south-day
United Nations. (n.d.-b). United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. https://www.un.org/technologybank/