The United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has appointed Israel and Ghana to co-chair the Council's Science, Technology and Innovation Forum.

The two countries will, together, lead discussions, take part in the selection of speakers, and prepare receptions on promoting innovation in the world.

Neither of the countries have previously led the forum.

 The senior appointment also makes Ghana the first African nation to hold the post.

 The ambassadors of Ghana and Israel to the UN met recently at the UN headquarters to coordinate their plans for the forum’s activities in 2020, and decided to focus on advancing women in science and technology; using agricultural technologies; and environmental innovation for the coming year.

A press statement issued by the Israeli Embassy said: “Their joint selection is a recognition of Israel and Ghana’s numerous collaborations in economic transformation, food innovation, agricultural technologies, and all areas that advance the UN’s development goals”.

“The collaboration between Israel and Ghana in the field of innovation and startups is a major part of the Israeli policy in Ghana. The cooperation consists of activities that promote innovation in sectors such as agriculture, health and cyber security among others.

“In the coming months, the Israeli Innovation Authority will support collaboration between start-ups in Ghana and Israel, working together to find solutions to issues in the fields of agriculture and health”, the statement added.

Currently, the Embassy of Israel in Ghana has begun a trilateral cooperation between the Israeli Development Agency, MASHAV, the German Development agency GIZ and the Government of Ghana, on developing the innovation ecosystem in Ghana. Recently, the embassy held its maiden Israeli Green Innovation Competition in partnership with the Ghana Garden and Flower Movement in which Ghanaian startup “Coologi” won a 3-day study tour to Israel, in order to find investment opportunities.

Earlier this year, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), the Embassy of Israel held two innovation workshops – one for the government sector and the other for the startup ecosystem. A third workshop was held for the private sector, in order to encourage innovation by commercial companies.

Israel, a leading country in innovation worldwide is home to approximately 6,000 pioneering startups, backed by robust public sector support, strategic partnerships with more than 300 multinational companies, and extensive domestic and internal investment.

Israeli innovators are pushing the technological envelope in every sector, including cyber-security, health, autonomous cars, energy, machine learning, agritech, drones, aerospace and more.