OWG Proposed Target 17.6
RATING: PHENOMENAL. A focus on capacity building, increasing connectivity between scientific institutions globally, interchange of knowledge and scientists between regions is possible at relatively low cost, but with significant benefits. The costs should be relatively low because much of the communication infrastructure is already laid, though it could be improved in many developing countries. The large benefits would stem from linking scientists to research teams, grant funding, and knowledge sources (e.g. journals) in advanced countries, with consequent learning impacts on behalf of local personnel and greater access of local firms to technical innovations. There is UNCERTAIN knowledge about the effectiveness of the UN global technology facilitation mechanism.
Download the entire report
In our recent report, not just the target above, but all 169 targets have been assessed by 60 teams of the world’s top economists. The targets have been categorized into five ratings based on evidence of economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits. While we applaud that the UN Open Working Group's final outcome document contains 43 fewer targets than the previous document, we are concerned that many targets have simply been combined, therefore reducing the number of both phenomenal and poor targets assessed according to our cost-benefit analysis. Our new assessment includes suggestions for how these can be improved as reported in this article by the Financial Times.
