Science, technology and innovation for sustainable development A/RES/74/229 Reaffirming that the creation, development and diffusion of new innovations and technologies and associated know-how, including the transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms, are powerful drivers of economic growth and sustainable development, Underscoring that rapid technological change brings enormous opportunities to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, while it also poses new challenges, including perpetuating divides within and between countries, Recognizing that new technologies increase the demand for digital skills and competencies and that, at the same time, developing countries are experiencing higher numbers of young people entering the labour market and a widening gap between their knowledge, skills and abilities and those sought by employers, and expressing concern that the share of women in specialist information and communications technology occupations remains low, especially in developing countries, Recognizing also that education, training and capacity-building in science, technology and innovation can provide new skills and so widen employment opportunities, while addressing market needs, Calling upon the international community and all stakeholders to support efforts by developing countries to provide opportunities for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and research for all, including youth and women, and particularly in the emerging technologies, and to provide suitable working conditions in order to prevent brain drain, Recognizing that innovation, such as pro-poor, inclusive, grass-roots and social innovation that seeks to solve problems, is not always addressed by markets, Recognizing also the importance of utilizing science, technology and innovation in a manner relevant to specific national and local situations and needs, Recognizing further the importance of data protection and privacy, in particular for developing countries in the context of science and technology for development, especially regarding the adoption of new technologies, Taking note of the Digital Economy Report 2019 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which examines the scope for value creation and capture in the digital economy by developing countries and gives special attention to opportunities for these countries to take advantage of the dat a-driven economy as producers and innovators, and notes that platformization and the monetization of the rapidly expanding volume of digital data are increasingly driving value creation, while acknowledging the risk that digitalization may contribute to ri sing inequality and further consolidation rather than to more inclusive development, Recognizing that realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution to progress across all of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, and recognizing also that there is a need to ensure full and equal access to and participation in science, technology and innovation for women of all ages, as well as to target science, technology and innovation strategies to address women’s empowerment and inequalities, including the gender digital divide, Recalling the agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women on women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work, adopted at its sixty first session, 8 which, inter alia, highlighted the need for managing technological and digital change for women’s economic empowerment, particularly to strengthen the capacities of developing countries, so as to enable women to leverage science and __________________ 8 19-22501 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2017, Supplement No. 7 (E/2017/27), chap. I, sect. A. 3/9