The Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) was launched as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the objective to support the SDGs. It includes three major components – an Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) of over 30 UN-system agencies; an annual multi-stakeholder Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum; and an on-line platform that is expected to serve as a gateway for information on existing science, technology and innovation (STI) initiatives, mechanisms and programs, within and beyond the United Nations. These are advised by a 10 –Member Group of academics, policy makers, entrepreneurs and others, appointed by the Secretary-General. This project aims to strengthen the capacity of key constituents in developing countries to access, operationalize and benefit from STI for the SDGs. It will strengthen the learning and adoption of relevant innovations by developing countries across both the South and the North; improve the capacity of governments and entrepreneurs to access relevant STI solutions through on-line mechanisms (including through improving their design); and strengthen the off-line partnerships, policy supports and institutional structures needed to make these self-sustaining. Throughout, the natural synergies across the different components of the TFM will be fully utilised. The direct beneficiaries of the project are STI and SDG communities in the target countries, including government officials, academics, scientists, technologists, practitioners, business persons and community leaders. The project will enhance their capacity to develop, disseminate and adapt STI solution in key strategic SDG areas, including a better understanding of relevant policy instruments and the sustainable development implications of new technology trends. The ultimate key beneficiaries of the project are all stakeholders around the world that will use the Online Platform to increase their capacity to use STI for SDGs. 

The project aims to enhance and strengthen knowledge, policy development and national capacities of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to improve their policies and programmes supporting the growth of micro-, small-, and medium-enterprises (MSMEs) in order to promote productive activities, job creation, income generation and entrepreneurship especially among socially disadvantaged groups including women, youth, and to effectively contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The project activities focus on developing policy and program options to build capacities and promote MSMEs in developing countries, to develop global and regional networks for enhancing collaboration and partnerships, to exchange experiences and lessons learned, including through HLPF.
Sustainable development requires growth of economic activities, production of goods and services, creation of employment opportunities, revenue growth and infrastructure development without compromising environmental and social integrity. In this regard, the role of the private sector, in particular, of MSMEs cannot be overemphasized. Micro-, small- and medium-enterprises are present in almost every country of the world. Their role is even more vital in the developing countries. Formal SMEs contribute up to 45 percent of total employment and up to 33 percent of national income (GDP) in emerging economies. These numbers are significantly higher when micro enterprises and informal SMEs are included. MSMEs often involve people with little or no financial resources who also face tremendous barriers to access the conventional financial institutions for start-up businesses due to their poverty and lack of collateral assets. In addition, MSMEs are constrained by lack of capacity and knowledge on launching businesses, market access and other resources. Furthermore, many developing countries have not been able to fully tap the potentials of MSMEs due to weak policy, institutional and support mechanisms. MSMEs can be a powerful vehicle to improve economic and social conditions of individuals, communities and society. Accordingly, the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development has specific targets regarding MSMEs under Goal 8 but the significance of and support for MSMEs have been mentioned in many other Goals and Targets.
Add core problems/issues: lack of access to financial resources, credit, business operation capacities, market analysis skills and management skills. Lack of regional and global initiatives to strengthen the capacities of government agencies and financial sectors to provide necessary policy and operation support to the MSMEs.
Who are the key beneficiaries? The public sector agencies, in particular the ministries/agencies of planning and economic development, as well as the business association in support of MSMEs, and private sector, including the financial sector and trade associations, will be the main beneficiaries of the project. It is expected that the eventual beneficiaries of the project will be the MSME entrepreneurs including women and youth.
What/whose capacities will be strengthened by this project? Government ministries/agencies, business associations in support of MSMEs, MSME entrepreneurs, credit agencies and other lending institutions for MSMEs.
Main entities involved? DSD together with DPAD, FfD, UNDP, UNIDO, UNCTAD, ADB, AFDB and WB and other UN system partners; WBCSD and other business groups and foundations in support of MSMEs, through collaboration in desk studies, assessments, workshops and when appropriate, advisory services.
What capacities to be enhanced? Planning, policy formulation, training, market analysis, access to credit, business plan development, business management, accounting, etc. Building global and regional networks of MSME practitioners, financial sector, IT sector and relevant government agencies.

This project provided technical assistance to four least developed countries (LDCs), Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Lao PDR and Tanzania, on different aspects of their efforts to integrate the 2030 Agenda into national development plans and strategies. The work focused on areas that many countries have identified as a priority for technical assistance in their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs): policy coherence and inclusiveness (including aspects such as modeling, institutional arrangements and stakeholder engagement); financing of national development priorities; and data and monitoring.
The assistance was tailored to the specific needs and demands of each country. In addition to delivering the technical assistance itself, the project piloted an approach to DESA interdivisional work in close cooperation with the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) of each country.

Small-scale farmers in mountainous areas and in drought and desertification- affected regions of developing countries encounter constant challenges with respect to growing agricultural produce putting them at risk of not being able to get enough harvests to support their families’ livelihoods.  Lack of sufficient arable land to grow traditional agricultural produce, especially in mountainous areas and in regions experiencing drought, land degradation and desertification, compounds the perennial problem of poverty in many developing countries. Juncao technology (jun meaning fungi, cao meaning grass) that has been developed by the National Engineering Research Centre for Juncao Technology of the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) of China has allowed farmers in mountainous areas and in regions experiencing drought, land degradation and desertification to grow several types of nutritious mushrooms from dried, chopped grasses, without cutting down trees and damaging the environment. Such an environmental-friendly technology can help small-scale farmers and farming communities to develop a low-cost, commercial-scale mushroom cultivation industry that can provide sustainable livelihood for thousands. In addition, the technology can also be used for producing cattle feed, methane gas and also minimize soil erosion to combat desertification. In the long run, depending on local demands and the scale of production, it may also provide opportunities for exporting the mushrooms cultivated using the technology. To date this technology, that has the potential of lifting populations out of poverty, has been successfully transferred to a number of developing countries, including Fiji, Lesotho, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, and South Africa. The key beneficiaries of the project will be the small-scale farmers, relevant line ministries and government agencies, in particular in the ministries/agencies of agriculture, forestry and of planning and economic development; as well as other stakeholders, including women and youth living in poverty who would be equipped with the technology. Academia in the participating pilot countries will also benefit from the project enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the backend of the technology through fellowships and study tours to enable them to understand the scientific basis of the technology and also provide them with the opportunity to contribute to its continuous innovation through research and development in collaboration with the developers of the technology at the National Engineering Research Centre for Juncao Technology of the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) of China. This project aims to enhance knowledge and strengthen national capacities of developing countries to improve their policies and programmes supporting sustainable agriculture through the transfer of Juncao technology in order to promote productive activities, income generation and entrepreneurship especially among socially disadvantaged groups including farmers, women, youth and to effectively contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).  The project activities focus on developing policy and program options to build capacities and promote sustainable agriculture in developing countries and build a global network for enhancing collaboration and partnerships, including contributing to reports going to the HLPF on implementation of the SDGs.

The main objective of the EST process in Asia is to integrate environmentally sustainable transport in the overall policy, planning and development, by sensitizing the local and national governments, the private sector, and civil society, in order to contribute and follow up the
 Outcome of Rio+20 – The Future We Want, SG’s High-level Panel on Transport, post-2015 Development Agenda/SDGs and other global processes. The immediate objective of the proposed project are more explicitly the following:
 - To achieve a safe, efficient, reliable, economically sound, socially inclusive and
 environmentally protective transport system for smart, resilient and sustainable society
 in Asia by integrating EST in overall policy, planning and development; and
 - To establish a strategic Knowledge Base Platform on EST in Asia to meet the needs of the developing countries in the region. 
 In order to achieve these objectives, it is necessary to set appropriate goals and targets, and monitor the progress of achievement by member countries every year. To this regard, EST Forum was established which is a strategic and knowledge platform for sharing experiences and
 disseminating among Asian countries best practices, tools, technologies, policy instruments and achievement on various aspects of the EST. It is equally important to strengthen the multilayer partnership for effective implementation of EST as outlined in the Aichi Statement, Kyoto Declaration, Bangkok 2020 Declaration (2010-2020), Bali Declaration (2013), Colombo Declaration (2014), and the Kyoto Declaration (2007) & it’s Addendum (2014).

Progress of the Sustainable Development Agenda (i.e. post-2015) is conditioned in large measureby the ability of Member States to monitor, report on -- and learn lessons from -- theimplementation of their National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS) and assess theireffectiveness against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is thus critical for policymakers and other stakeholders to have access to effective statistics and data, monitoring andreporting tools, frameworks and systems in order to make timely, evidence-based policydecisions. Experience from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and a recent surveyfrom the United Nations Statistical Commission illustrate the enormous challenges for, andcapacity gaps remaining within, Member States, particularly developing countries, to establishand operationalize such national monitoring and reporting systems. As Member States movecloser to adopting the post-2015 sustainable development agenda -- which aims to besignificantly more ambitious in the number of SDGs, targets and indicators, compared to theMDGs -- many developing country Member States will need both capacity development andfinancial support to transform and enhance the capability of existing monitoring and reportingsystems and government institutions (e.g. national statistical offices). This project seeks toaddress these capacity deficits by supporting and assisting national governments andstakeholders to design and adopt integrated frameworks for monitoring and reporting onsustainable development progress, including the achievement of the SDGs. It aims to do so bydeveloping monitoring and reporting tools, guidelines, methodologies and case studies. Theproject will be informed by an analysis of capacity needs and gaps in the six pilot countries,followed with training workshops and advisory missions to assist governments to operationalizethe SDGs. At the end of the project, an interregional workshop for upscaling and sharing ofearly findings will be held.

The main objective of the 3R process in Asia is to integrate 3Rs and resource efficiency in the overall policy, planning and development, by sensitizing the local and national governments, private sector, industry and business groups (including SMEs), and civil society, in order to contribute the Outcome of Rio+20 – The Future We Want, 3Rs and resource efficiency are promoted as the basis for sustainable waste management. The objectives of the proposed Project are more explicitly the following: 
 - To achieve a low carbon and resource efficient society in Asia by integrating 3Rs in overall policy, planning and development.
 - To strengthen multilayer partnership for effective implementation of 3Rs as outlined in Ha Noi 3R Declaration (2013-2023).