Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Rabab Fatima visited the Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank and President of TUBITAK Prof. Hasan Mandal within the scope of her visit to Türkiye. Rabab Fatima expressed her gratitude to our country for its financial and administrative contributions to the Bank.
Fatima also visited TÜBİTAK MAM and got a briefing about the studies in the institutes and laboratories of TÜBİTAK. During the laboratory visits after the briefing, the research groups of TÜBİTAK gave Fatima information about the projects and their results, which are especially thought to be suitable with the needs of LDCs.
After the laboratory visits, the Technology Bank Management Council Meeting was held with the participation of TÜBİTAK President Prof. Hasan Mandal as the representative of the host country, and the Bank's 2023 business plans were discussed with other Council members. In the meeting, where Türkiye's support for the Bank was reiterated, Rabab Fatima expressed to the Council members that she had expectations from all Council members in terms of introducing the Bank to the world and finding both political and financial resources.
Noting that the Technology Bank is also an important organization for the UN, Fatima expressed her belief that new collaborations with the relevant institutions of Türkiye and private sector representatives will increase the power of the Bank. Ideas were also exchanged on the projects planned to be implemented jointly by the Bank attaching more importance to project-oriented work than in the past and the institutions of Türkiye.
The parties expressed their belief that political and voluntary financial support to the Bank will be increased at the 5th Least Developed Countries (LDC) Conference to be held in Qatar in March 2023.
Existing joint project preparations with the Technology Bank were discussed, and expectations regarding possible new cooperation areas and opportunities were mutually revealed.
About the Technology Bank:
The United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) aims to strengthen LDCs' capacities in the fields of science, technology and innovation and facilitate technology transfer.
During the 4th United Nations (UN) LDC Conference held in Istanbul on 9-13 May 2011, a science and technology commitment package for LDCs was announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. As one of the commitments in the field of science, technology and innovation, the package included the establishment of an international center in Türkiye that would act as a “Technology Bank” for LDCs. In this regard, the establishment of the Technology Bank was accepted with the decision taken by the UN General Assembly on December 23, 2016.
The budget of the Technology Bank, hosted by Türkiye, is based on voluntary contributions. The Technology Bank, which was established by Türkiye at the TÜBİTAK Gebze Campus and delivered to the UN representatives in 2018, is a source of prestige for Türkiye, as it allowed the closing of the Chapter 17.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Technology Bank is a UN agency under UN-OHRLLS in the UN system, operating directly under the General Assembly.