Economic and Social Council

 
44th plenary meeting
19 July 1995

 1995/4. Science and technology for development

The Economic and Social Council,

Recognizing the unique role of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development as a global forum for the examination of science and technology questions, for improving understanding of science and technology policies for development and for the formulation of recommendations and guidelines on science and technology matters within the United Nations system, all in relation to development,

Recognizing further that the Commission, in carrying out its work, should pay special attention to the needs and requirements of developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, and that it should also take into consideration the relevant problems of countries with economies in transition,

Noting the efforts of the Commission to adopt a new working style consisting of panels and working groups that take advantage of the available expertise of representatives of States Members of the Commission and have responsibility for preparing draft reports for consideration by the Commission, Taking note with appreciation of the reports prepared by the panels and working groups of the Commission, pursuant to decisions taken at its first session, entitled "Science and technology for basic needs: a bridge", 1/ "Science and technology for sustainable human development: the gender dimension", 2/ "Science and technology for integrated land management" 3/ and "Strengthening of linkages between the national research and development systems and industrial sectors", 4/ and the recommendations contained therein,

Noting also the other relevant documents submitted to the Commission for consideration at its second session, 5/

Recognizing the need to focus the future inter-sessional activities of the Commission on a limited number of substantive themes,

Recognizing further that information and communication are important requisites for planning, development and decision-making in science and technology, and also recognizing the far-reaching implications of information technologies for society,

Basic needs, gender, land management, research and development,industrialization, coordination, financing and other matters arising from the first session of the Commission and work programme for the inter-sessional period 1995-1997

1. Invites Governments to undertake systematic reviews of each major component of their macroeconomic policy frameworks and to take measures to address any unwarranted disincentives for healthy and progressive informal and small and medium-sized productive sectors, and to create an enabling environment for the scientific and technological community to take initiatives to link technologies, in a participatory manner, with entrepreneurs from those sectors;

2. Decides to draw the attention of Member States to the importance of targeted research and development and the application of science and technology in helping to satisfy basic needs, requests the relevant United Nations bodies and donor organizations to assist interested countries in formulating policies and action plans to implement, evaluate and improve efforts for that purpose, and requests Member States and relevant organizations to report on the outcome of those endeavours to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development at its third session;

3. Decides that the Commission should assist the United Nations system in identifying and promoting replicable demonstration activities and programmes, involving different countries from diverse regions, that apply science and technology to the satisfaction of basic needs, and recommends that the operational mechanisms of the United Nations system, including the Department for Development Support and Management Services of the United Nations Secretariat, the regional commissions and other relevant organizations, such as the United Nations Development Programme, disseminate information and facilitate the application of science and technology in meeting basic needs;

4. Recognizes that the role of the United Nations in promoting better awareness of relationships between gender and science and technology is crucial, and requests the Secretary-General and United Nations organs and bodies to consider and take the necessary action to implement the recommendations addressed to the United Nations system contained in the report of the Panel on the Gender Implications of Science and Technology for Developing Countries, 6/ and to report thereon to the Commission at its subsequent sessions;

5. Recommends that all Governments adopt the Declaration of Intent on Gender, Science and Technology for Sustainable Human Development set out in the annex to the present resolution, conduct reviews of the national situation regarding gender and science and technology through special committees within or outside existing suitable mechanisms, formulate action plans, and report publicly and to the Commission on progress in achieving the goals of the declaration of intent by the end of 1996 and 1998, and calls upon donor countries and agencies to assist the follow-up activities of the committees;

6. Recommends that the principles set out in the report of the Panel on the Science and Technology Aspects of the Sectoral Issue on science and technology for integrated land management 7/ be further elaborated to provide guidelines for the application of technologies that support integrated land management under site- and region-specific conditions, and, for that purpose, invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, in cooperation with the regional commissions, where appropriate, to elaborate such guidelines and work together with a view to designing programmes to address specific land management problems and assisting developing countries and economies in transition in implementing such programmes and sharing the information thus obtained;

7. Notes that the research and development systems in most developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, and in some countries with economies in transition, do not provide sufficient support to the improvement of sustainable industrial development in those countries, and recommends that the international community, through multilateral and bilateral aid and, generally, through the enhancement of linkages with enterprises, universities, foundations, research institutes, scientific laboratories, trade and professional associations, and other channels and mechanisms for international scientific and technological cooperation, should strengthen its support for countries undertaking reforms in their research and development systems and their efforts in building innovative capacities;

8. Requests Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to give priority to effective access to networks, such as the Internet, by scientific and technical institutions in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, and countries with economies in transition, through the provision of technical and other support for related investments, and to facilitate appropriate electronic communication among institutions engaged in science and technology for development;

9. Requests the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to liaise in establishing a programme of country reviews on science, technology and innovation policy for interested countries, also requests the Commission to consider providing advisory inputs, analytical support and evaluation, as need be, in the carrying out of such country reviews, and requests the United Nations Development Programme to explore the possibilities of contributing to the funding of such activities from its centrally controlled resources.

10. Recognizes that technological capacity-building is a major factor in the process of effective technology transfer and long-term growth, and invites the United Nations system and the international community to support the implementation of projects specially designed to foster technological capacity- building in interested countries, including least developed countries;

11. Recalls the agreed conclusions on coordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies and other bodies of the United Nations system related to science and technology for development adopted at its substantive session of 1994, 8/ and, in that context, decides that the Commission, in its substantive work, should maximize coordination in undertaking its inter-sessional studies on specific issues by relating actively to competent United Nations organs and agencies, as well as other multilateral organizations;

12. Decides that the Commission, in reviewing the activities of the United Nations system in science and technology, should highlight innovative programme concepts and designs of common interest and bring them to the attention of the science and technology community, with an indication of their resource implications, and should use them as a basis for building ad hoc resource coalitions;

13. Decides also that the main substantive theme that will constitute the focus of the work of the Commission during the inter-sessional period 1995-1997 will be information technologies and their implications for development;

14. Decides further to set up panels and/or working groups to analyse, elaborate and make recommendations on issues related to information technologies, possibly including:

(a) Analysis of the application of information technologies in different groups of countries with a view to making recommendations to enhance the diffusion of information technologies in key sectors of their economies;

(b) The implications of the revolutionary improvements in the cost effectiveness of information technologies for the development of a global information infrastructure;

(c) Implications for the promotion of sustainable development, including the sustainable use of natural resources and the reduction of environmental degradation;

(d) The implications of such improvements for more effectively meeting basic human needs, such as education, health, water and food;

(e) The effects of information technology on social cohesion, economic growth and cultural values, including such issues as gender, employment, small-scale economic activities, production capability, improved governance and increased participation in the decision-making process;

(f) Public policy, legal, regulatory, institutional, financial, market, human resource and infrastructural requirements for the diffusion and application of information technology;

(g) Examination of the programmes of the organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system that relate to the global information infrastructure and their impacts, and the ways in which improved coordination and new avenues to be opened up for the coalition of resources could better assist developing countries and countries with economies in transition in gaining more effective access to information technology and participating to a greater extent in the development and application of information technology;

(h) Assessment of experiences and progress made with regard to access to networks, as referred to in paragraph 8 of the present resolution;

15. Notes the recommendations adopted at the Consultative Meeting on a Coalition of Resources for Science and Technology for Development; 9/ recommends that, at the international level, a coalition of resources should focus on specific themes and common goals among recipients, donors and international financing institutions, including the World Bank and the regional development banks; that such themes and common goals should be based on voluntary and informal mechanisms that promote the full interaction of both donors and recipients; and that the feasibility of building science and technology into existing and broader coordination schemes should be considered; and also recommends that the Commission should provide a forum for exchanging views and interaction among partners of different networks and coordination schemes in the area of science and technology for development, drawing lessons from past experience in that area, a forum that could be held either as a segment of its biennial sessions or as an inter-sessional activity, as required and defined by the Commission in consultation with relevant United Nations bodies and international organizations;

16. Welcomes the important contribution to the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development made by the Commission on Science and Technology for Development in the area of integrated land management, and invites the Commission on Science and Technology for Development to continue contributing substantively and constructively to the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development on the science and technology components of Agenda 21; 10/

17. Invites the Commission on Science and Technology for Development to give consideration to ways and means of taking advantage of the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development, held at Vienna from 20 to 31 August 1979, for the formulation of a common vision for the future contribution of science and technology for development;

18. Recognizes the importance of clean and safe energy technologies in the pursuit of sustainable development, and recommends that the Commission secretariat, in consultation with the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development and other relevant international bodies, submit to the Commission at its third session an issues note that should identify scientific and technological aspects of sustainable energy systems that might be considered by the Commission in defining its future work programme;

19. Takes note of the report by the secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development entitled "Scientific and technological aspects of the conversion of military capacities for civilian use and sustainable development: an overview of the main issues", 11/ and recommends the continuation of the work of the Commission on scientific and technological aspects of the conversion of military capacities in close cooperation with other relevant bodies of the United Nations system and with other organizations;

20. Expresses its appreciation to the Commission secretariat for its work in preparing timely and substantive documentation for the second session, reiterates its earlier decision that responsibility for implementation of the Commission's programme rests with members of the Commission, and that the secretariat is responsible for servicing the Commission, and emphasizes, furthermore, that the Commission should implement its future work programme and its priorities in a transparent manner;

21. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the necessary resources for convening at least four inter-sessional ad hoc panels/workshops on specific issues in the field of science and technology, which will provide crucial input into the work of the Commission in terms of independent, specialized and expert advice;

22. Recognizes with appreciation the financial contributions made by Governments, foundations, institutions and individual donors to the work of the panels, as well as the important support received to that end from individuals, experts and non-governmental groups and United Nations bodies, and encourages them and all appropriate institutions to continue and enhance their support of the activities of the Commission in the inter-sessional period 1995-1997.

Annex

DECLARATION OF INTENT ON GENDER, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

All Governments agree to work actively towards the following goals:

1. To ensure basic education for all, with particular emphasis on scientific and technological literacy, so that all women and men can effectively use science and technology to meet basic needs.

2. To ensure that women and men have equal opportunities to acquire advanced training in science and technology and to pursue careers as technologists, scientists and engineers.

3. To achieve gender equity within science and technology institutions, including policy and decision-making bodies.

4. To ensure that the needs and aspirations of women and men are equally taken into account in the setting of research priorities and in the design, transfer and application of new technologies.

5. To ensure that all women and men have equal access to the information and knowledge, particularly scientific and technological knowledge, that they need to improve their standard of living and quality of life.

6. To recognize local knowledge systems, where they exist, and their gender-specific nature as a source of knowledge that is complementary to modern science and technology and is also valuable for sustainable human development.

Notes

1/ E/CN.16/1995/2.

2/ E/CN.16/1995/3.

3/ E/CN.16/1995/4.

4/ E/CN.16/1995/8.

5/ E/CN.16/1995/5-7 and 9-13.

6/ E/CN.16/1995/3, para. 35, recommendations 1-7.

7/ See E/CN.16/1995/4.

8/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/49/3/Rev.1), chap. III, sect. A.

9/ See E/CN.16/1995/11.

10/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1 (Vol. I and Vol. I/Corr.1, Vol. II, Vol. III and Vol. III/Corr.1)) (United Nations publications, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda) vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II.

11/ E/CN.16/1995/13.

Date last posted: 5 December 1999 13:27:00
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