The SDGs represent challenges in advancing the broad access to information agenda because of the divergent goals and proliferating targets and indicators. At the same time, the broadness of many of the goals presents opportunities for the agenda, particularly in the form of open access and open science, to embed itself at the core, thus allowing concrete actions and policies to be formulated in order to achieve tangible development outcomes. I will focus in particular on Goal 9 (“Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”) and argue that information and knowledge are essential infrastructure needed to build local research capacity which are in turn the foundation for sustainable development. The growing understanding of the importance of sharing methods and results throughout the research life cycle further demands the need for appropriate infrastructure. Examples of such infrastructure, such as data and publication repositories, already exist at some local level, but they are often fragmented and lack adequate resources. It is therefore important for FAO/IFLA/COAR to continue to advocate for the development of knowledge infrastructure and to ensure that policies are in place to support their long term sustainability.  

Find here the slides of this webinar.