The SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development (WG on ITSD) is a subsidiary body within the governing structure of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA). It was created by decision of the SPECA Governing Council taken at its 14th session (Ashgabat, 21 November 2019), following a proposal by the SPECA Working Group on Knowledge-based Development (WG on KBD) to update its name and terms of reference to better reflect the priorities of the SPECA countries under the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The SPECA WG on KBD was first established following the decision by the SPECA Governing Council taken at its second session (Berlin, 14 November 2007) to broaden the mandate of the previous Project Working Group on ICT for Development (PWG on ICT) and to form it into the Project Working Group on Knowledge-based Development.
| Document Title | ENG | RUS |
|---|---|---|
| Terms of Reference |
Working Group Activities - ITSD (from 2020)
| Fifth Session of the SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development 27 June 2024 (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) |
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Subregional workshop: Innovation and technology for sustainable development with a focus on digital public services for small and medium-sized enterprises in North and Central Asia |
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International Seminar: Prospects for the development of creative industries: the path to success |
| Innovation for the Circular Economy: Empowering Start-ups to Achieve More with Less: UNECE Study Tour for SPECA Participating States 20-21 December 2023 (Tbilisi, Georgia) |
| Fourth Session of the SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development and Subregional workshop: Progress Update on the Action Plan of the SPECA Strategy on Innovation for Sustainable Development 18-19 October 2023 (Tashkent Uzbekistan) Meeting page |
| UNECE B2B capacity building “Innovation for the Circular Economy: Bridging Start-Ups and Corporations” 18 October 2023 (Tashkent Uzbekistan) Meeting page |
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Capacity building: Enhancing venture capital in Azerbaijan |
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Study tour to Georgia for innovation policymakers from the SPECA sub-region |
| Side event to the 16th session of the UNECE Committee on Innovation, Competitiveness and Public-Private Partnerships: Promoting women’s entrepreneurship in transition economies for sustainable development 1 June 2023 (Geneva, Switzerland) |
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UNECE capacity building workshop for Chief Innovation Officers on innovation for the circular economy |
| Side event to the 70th session of the Economic Commission for Europe: Fostering circular solutions through innovation 3 April 2023 (online, Geneva) |
| Working with venture funds and business angels: UNECE capacity building for staff of business incubators and accelerators in the SPECA sub-region 16 March 2023, Virtual mode: online platform, (Geneva, Switzerland) Meeting page |
| Capacity building for SPECA countries “Development of business incubators and start-up accelerators: training for university management” 21 February 2023, Virtual mode: online platform, (Geneva, Switzerland) Meeting page |
| Capacity building for SPECA countries "Effective management and development of business incubators and accelerators" 27-29 September 2022, Virtual mode: online platform, (Geneva, Switzerland) Meeting page |
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Capacity building: Fostering innovative entrepreneurship through educational curricula in the SPECA sub-region |
| Third Session of the SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development: Approval of creation of a SPECA NBIASD with national focal points 20 July 2022, Hybrid mode (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Meeting page News item |
| Expert Group Meeting on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development: Proposal for a SPECA Network of Business Incubators and Accelerators for Sustainable Development (NBIASD) 19-20 July 2022, Hybrid mode (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Meeting page News item |
| Capacity building: “New approaches to innovation policy in the transition economies of the SPECA sub-region” 19 May 2022, Virtual mode: online platform (Geneva, Switzerland) Documents |
| Capacity building for SPECA policymakers on supporting innovative high-growth enterprises in the SPECA sub-region 15 February and 17 February 2022, Virtual mode: online platform (Geneva, Switzerland) Documents |
| Capacity building: Challenges and opportunities for supporting innovative, high-growth enterprises in the SPECA countries 23 December 2021, Virtual mode: online platform (Geneva, Switzerland) Documents |
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Sixteenth session of the SPECA Governing Council: Approval of the Action Plan of the SPECA Innovation Strategy for Sustainable Development |
| Second Session of the SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development and Subregional workshop: Action plan of the SPECA Innovation Strategy for Sustainable Development 20-21 October 2021, Hybrid mode: online platform, (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) Documents |
| Capacity building: Second meeting of the Task Force on the Roadmap for the Development of the Innovation Ecosystem of Kyrgyzstan until 2025 8 September 2021, virtual modality Documents |
| Capacity building: First meeting of the Task Force on the Roadmap for the Development of Innovation Support Infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan until 2025 9 June 2021, virtual modality Documents |
| Subregional Workshop: Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) gap assessment of SPECA countries 26 November 2020, virtual modality Documents |
| First Session of the SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development 30 July 2020, virtual modality (Country chair - Kazakhstan) Documents |