From 10 to 19 July, Dr Axel Berger, Deputy Director (interim) of IDOS and Executive Director of SDSN Germany, represented IDOS and SDSN at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development 2023 in New York.
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Under the theme „Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels,“ forum participants discussed effective and inclusive measures to address the pandemic’s impact and implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to hosting various SDSN side events, Axel Berger spoke on 12 July as part of the official session on implementing SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). Together with Nagesh Kumar (Director of the Indian Institute for Studies in Industrial Development), Norichika Kanie (Professor at the Graduate School of Media Governance at Keio University, and member of the independent group of scholars writing the Global Sustainable Development Report), Shala Naimi (Google), and Sabrina Atwine (Nimarungi Initiative), Axel Berger discussed the importance of innovation, industry and infrastructure for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Assuming that countries with a stronger industrial base and deep value chains are better able to weather global crises, Axel Berger reflected on the fundamental and structural challenges of lower-income countries. In this context, he stressed the importance of „green“ industrial policy and deepened international cooperation for the transfer and joint development of sustainable technologies. Thus, he argued that the development of technology and production capacities should be considered a public good, which is essential for shaping a green and fair global economy. This would require the development of collaborative R&D capacities, as well as a change in the international economic framework to encourage sustainable investment in low-income countries.
