Ensuring easy and affordable access by developing countries to appropriate technologies is critical in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Open-source technologies can provide a means of effective technology transfer. Countless open-source designs and technologies are shared by innovators worldwide, yet there is currently no central repository of such technologies and this makes it difficult for producers or consumers in developing countries to locate and access them.
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations recently adopted resolution 2021/30 on open-source technologies for sustainable development. In this policy brief, an explanation of why developing countries need access to such technologies and proposals of ways to move forward in implementing the resolution are provided.
Key points:
By building and sharing the global stock of knowledge, a centralized repository of open-source technical information can help developing countries leapfrog to sustainable, inclusive and resilient recoveries in line with the 2030 Agenda.
The United Nations is well placed to take the lead in setting up such a database, given its established role in advocating open-source technologies through various intergovernmental forums and in various publications.
The success of such a database will depend on solid support from Member States of the United Nations, as well as on collaboration and cooperation among United Nations agencies, including UNCTAD.
