This document prepared for the UN Commission on Population and Development Fifty-ninth session New York, 13–17 April 2026 Item 3 (b) of the provisional agenda* General debate Population, technology and research in the context of sustainable development may be of interest. I have pasted a few paragraphs.
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Report of the Secretary-General Summary
Advances in technology and research have played a key role in accelerating the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and enhancing its contribution to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, technological change has, in some cases, exacerbated inequalities and created new divides and challenges. The present report is focused on selected aspects of technology and research that intersect with demographic trends and with other focus areas of the Programme of Action, such as population data, health, education and gender equality, making the normative guidance of the Commission on Population and Development particularly salient.
Across the topics examined, common themes emerge. First, equity and human rights must be ensured in all technological transitions by strengthening governance frameworks and institutions. Second, countries and the international community must not lose sight of the gaps that remain in basic technological needs, including in foundational population data, electricity in schools and health facilities and analog assistive devices, as they pursue advances in technology and research that can further accelerate progress towards achieving the objectives of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Profound changes in the technological and research landscapes have occurred since the International Conference on Population and Development was convened in 1994. The Conference was held in the early days of commercial use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Since then, the world has seen widespread adoption of mobile communication, new forms of communication, such as social media, massive increases in digital data systems, advances in biotechnology, health science and renewable energy and, most recently, generative artificial intelligence.
Chapter XII of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, “Technology, research and development”, covered basic data collection, analysis and dissemination, reproductive health research and social and economic research. However, the profound transformations in technology and research influence implementation of the commitments and policy recommendations contained in every chapter.
Digital platforms empower individuals, especially young people and marginalized groups, by giving them access to essential information, while also enhancing coordination among stakeholders, enabling more effective advocacy and outreach and broadening opportunities for capacity-building across sectors.
At the same time, technological change has, in some cases, exacerbated inequalities and created new divides and challenges, such as unequal access between and within countries, risks to data security and privacy, technology-facilitated gender based violence, cyberbullying, hate speech and the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation.
The Programme of Action continues to provide crucial guiding principles for the establishment of policies related to population and sustainable development that harness technological innovation while protecting human rights and ensuring that no one is left behind. The present report is focused on selected aspects of technology and research that intersect with demographic trends and where the normative guidance of the Commission on Population and Development is particularly salient.
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HIFA profile: Richard Fitton is a retired family doctor - GP. Professional interests: Health literacy, patient partnership of trust and implementation of healthcare with professionals, family and public involvement in the prevention of modern lifestyle diseases, patients using access to professional records to overcome confidentiality barriers to care, patients as part of the policing of the use of their patient data Email address: richardpeterfitton7 AT gmail.com