Welcome to the UN Innovation Network

The UN Innovation Network (UNIN) is an informal, collaborative community of UN innovators from across the UN. In addition to promoting innovation overall, UNIN also hosts UN Groups on specific topics. UNIN is open to innovators from all UN Entities as well as external partners.

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February 7, 2025
UN Habitat

World Smart Cities Outlook 2024

The World Smart Cities Outlook 2024 provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of people-centred smart city development globally. Serving as a foundational reference for drafting the International Guidelines on People-Centred Smart Cities, the report offers qualitative and quantitative insights into smart city trends, challenges and opportunities, including fresh data on regional variations, the digital divide, skills gaps and much more.

February 3, 2025

Accelerating Sustainable Urban Futures: A Practical Guide for Challenge-driven Innovation in Cities

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January 31, 2025

UNFPA Innovation Strategy 2030

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January 30, 2025

UNDC Digital Transformation Expo Health Special | AI to fight AIDS

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January 30, 2025

UNDC Digital Transformation Expo Health Special | CODA

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Webinar
January 30, 2025
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UNDC Digital Transformation Expo Health Special | AI to fight AIDS

UNAIDS shared a scoping study on AI’s role in ending AIDS, mapping initiatives in HIV prevention and treatment. Examples include a PrEP chatbot in Brazil, telehealth HIV testing in South Africa, and machine learning for risk assessment and resource allocation.

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January 30, 2025
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UNDC Digital Transformation Expo Health Special | CODA

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January 30, 2025
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UNDC Digital Transformation Expo Health Special | DrugDash

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January 30, 2025
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UNDC Digital Transformation Expo Health Special | Me-Smile

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January 29, 2025
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UNDC Spotlight Series | How Digital Technologies are Transforming the Health Sector

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February 7, 2025
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World Smart Cities Outlook 2024

The World Smart Cities Outlook 2024 provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of people-centred smart city development globally. Serving as a foundational reference for drafting the International Guidelines on People-Centred Smart Cities, the report offers qualitative and quantitative insights into smart city trends, challenges and opportunities, including fresh data on regional variations, the digital divide, skills gaps and much more.

February 7, 2025
Learn more
February 3, 2025
|

Accelerating Sustainable Urban Futures: A Practical Guide for Challenge-driven Innovation in Cities

Learn more
January 31, 2025
|

UNFPA Innovation Strategy 2030

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January 27, 2025
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Monitoring Smart Inclusive Transitions for an Equitable Urban Future, Using Global Urban Monitoring Framework

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January 27, 2025
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Digital Pathways for Education: Enabling Greater Impact for All

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"Without innovation, there is no way we can overcome the challenges of our time." António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

UN Groups

UNIN's UN Groups dive deeper into selected innovation areas to allow for deeper exchange in more specialised fields.

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February 17, 2022
Proof of Concept

Bike Ambulances to improve Emergency Obstetric Care in Rural Areas

Maternal mortality and morbidity rates remain high in Cote d’Ivoire. It is estimated that more than six women out of a thousand are dying while delivering birth, while 0.7% of the women of childbearing age have fistula in the country (MICS, 2016). While the strengthening of the health system is taking place, women in the country, especially in the rural area, stay vulnerable to the high risk of maternal death and morbidity. From behavioral perspectives, the barriers that leads to the three delays–(1) deciding to seek care; (2) identifying and reaching a medical facility; (3) receiving adequate and appropriate treatment may include the following (Cichowitz et al., 2018): Factors related to the first delay: social norms (community prefers to deliver at home), limited transportation and health care services at night, and negative experience in hospitals in the past (lack of trust). Factors related to the second delay of reaching a medical facility: a lack of available transportation, long travel times, and perception of high medical costs (walking 36.5%, car 34.6%, bus 13.5%, and motorcycle 13.5% in case of a study in Tanzania). In this context, this rapid prototyping initiative seeks to develop a new low-cost, safe transportation for women to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity in rural areas, by tackling the barriers that often lead to delay of emergency obstetric care (EmOC). It also aims to collect and utilize the GPS data/information of the bike ambulances to enable regional hospitals and the government to make better decisions in providing care, utilize hospital ambulances efficiently, and enhance communication between the care-seeker and care-provider.

About the UN Innovation Network

The UN Innovation Network (UNIN) is an informal, collaborative community of UN innovators interested in sharing their expertise and experience with others to promote and advance innovation within the UN System.

The Network hosts regular knowledge sharing sessions, helps Entities share tools, resources and best practices for innovating in the UN and offers advice on how to build structures to promote innovation, activate innovation partnerships and create a culture of innovation in their organisations.

UNIN is open to innovators from all UN Entities and to date, colleagues from over 70 entities in over 180 countries have joined the Network.

The UN Innovation Network is jointly chaired and funded by UNDP, UNICEF and WFP.

UNIN Organisational Members

UNIN Co-Chairs

Join the UN Innovation Network

We encourage everyone interested in innovation - from all across the UN and beyond - to join the UN Innovation Network to collaborate, share experiences and innovate for the Sustainable Development Goals.

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