Morocco Leads UN Tech Forum in NY

The 10th STI Forum: A Global Catalyst for Sustainable Development Through Innovation
The 10th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) unfolded on May 7–8, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, marking a pivotal moment in the intersection of global policy and cutting-edge innovation. Co-chaired by Morocco’s Ambassador Omar Hilale and Finland’s UN Ambassador Elina Kalkku, the event convened governments, private sector leaders, academics, and civil society to dissect how STI could turbocharge progress toward the SDGs. Against a backdrop of climate crises, widening inequality, and technological disruption, the forum’s timing was prophetic. Morocco’s leadership role—a nod to King Mohammed VI’s tech-forward vision—spotlighted the Global South’s growing influence in shaping ethical, inclusive innovation. Over two days, the ECOSOC Chamber transformed into a laboratory for solutions, from AI ethics to smart cities, proving that the SDGs aren’t just aspirational targets but actionable blueprints.
AI as the Double-Edged Sword of Progress
No topic dominated discussions like artificial intelligence. Panelists hailed AI’s potential to democratize healthcare, optimize renewable energy grids, and even predict climate disasters—imagine algorithms that could reroute aid before a hurricane makes landfall. Yet, the forum didn’t shy from the dark side: biased algorithms reinforcing inequality, or deepfakes undermining democracy. A delegate from Kenya shared how AI-driven crop diagnostics boosted yields by 30% for small farmers, while a European ethicist warned of “tech colonialism” if patents remain concentrated in Silicon Valley. The consensus? AI must be governed like a global public good. Morocco’s National AI Strategy, which prioritizes Arabic-language NLP tools to bridge digital divides, emerged as a case study in equitable innovation. As one speaker quipped, “AI won’t save the world if it only speaks Python and privilege.”
From Lab to Fork: STI’s Hunger Games
With 9.7 billion mouths to feed by 2050, the forum treated agricultural tech with wartime urgency. Sessions dissected CRISPR-edited drought-resistant crops, blockchain-enabled supply chains, and even 3D-printed plant-based meats—each a weapon against SDG 2’s mandate to end hunger. Dutch scientists showcased vertical farms producing 20x yields per square meter, while Indian activists countered that tech must serve subsistence farmers, not just agribusiness. The tension was palpable: Can gene-edited seeds coexist with indigenous knowledge? Morocco’s “Green Generation” initiative, which blends satellite soil monitoring with traditional irrigation techniques, offered a middle path. The takeaway? Innovation without inclusion is just another form of waste.
Building Cities That Don’t Cost the Earth
Urbanization took center stage as delegates grappled with SDG 11’s call for resilient cities. From Lagos to Los Angeles, the challenges are universal: choking pollution, housing shortages, and transit systems at breaking point. The forum’s solutions read like sci-fi—solar-paneled roads in Ghana, AI traffic lights slashing Jakarta’s gridlock—but the real innovation was in governance. Barcelona’s “digital twin” project, which simulates policy impacts in a virtual city, proved data could be democracy’s best ally. Meanwhile, Moroccan startups demonstrated low-cost water-recycling tech for informal settlements, a reminder that flashy “smart cities” often exclude the urban poor. The verdict? Sustainable urbanization isn’t about more tech; it’s about tech that serves more people.
The 10th STI Forum’s legacy lies in its refusal to treat innovation as a silver bullet. Between the AI ethics debates and agri-tech demos, a deeper theme emerged: Technology alone can’t fix systemic failures, but when guided by equity and collaboration, it becomes the ultimate equalizer. Morocco’s co-chair role symbolized a seismic shift—developing nations aren’t just adopting innovation; they’re redefining it. As attendees departed, the question wasn’t whether STI could achieve the SDGs, but whether humanity would wield it wisely. The forum’s real breakthrough? Proving that the future isn’t something we predict—it’s something we build, one algorithm, one seed, and one solar panel at a time.