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At its twelfth session, the Commission on Science and Technology for
Development reviewed the progress made in the implementation of the outcomes of the
World Summit on the Information Society. In addition, it considered two priority
themes, “Development-oriented policies for socio-economic inclusive information
society, including policies access, infrastructure and an enabling environment” and
“Science, technology and engineering for innovation and capacity-building in
education and research”.
The session included a ministerial segment, in which more than 15 Member
States were represented at the ministerial level. Participants also included heads of
international organizations of the United Nations system or their representatives;
representatives of the African Union, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the World Bank; and representatives
of civil society and of business entities.
The participants highlighted the following key issues:
- Science, technology and engineering can play a crucial role in addressing some
of the key challenges today, including climate change, water, and the food and
energy crises. In addition, most of the knowledge that countries need in order to
address their most urgent social and economic problems already exists. However,
most developing countries face obstacles to harnessing scientific and
technological knowledge for development. These include low rates of investment
in science and technology, inadequate human and physical capital, weak
institutional development and inadequate mechanisms to support research
commercialization, weak linkages between research and industry, as well as
relatively low awareness of the importance of science, technology and innovation
among policymakers and the public.
- Science, technology and innovation policies should be integrated into national
development plans and include implementation strategies. It should be imbedded
in the development agenda through a well-functioning and dynamic national
system of innovation. Participants pointed out that technological capacitybuilding
required long-term efforts; the relevant time frame would be decades
rather than years; therefore it was important for policymakers to adopt a longterm
strategy supported by commitment at the highest level of government. In
addition, these efforts should be accompanied by coherent policies, which cut
across all relevant areas of national development strategy, especially those related
to education and training, science and technology, industrial development, trade,
finance and foreign investment.
- Several participants observed that some of the policy issues related to national
innovation systems in a developing-country context were not well understood,
especially given the widely divergent circumstances faced by different countries.
In this regard, they urged the Commission on Science and Technology for
Development to provide a forum for developing countries, the international
community, the science, technology and innovation policy research community
and other interested parties to share and analyse empirical evidence on
technological learning and science, technology and innovation policy impacts;
identify critical gaps in “innovation system” understanding that the policy
research community might usefully address; and facilitate the sharing of good
practice as well as unsuccessful experiences among policymakers.
- Participants urged the Commission on Science and Technology for Development
to play the role of torch-bearer for innovation and innovation-oriented planning,
and to support efforts by national Governments to integrate science, technology
and innovation into national development strategies. They also called on the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to continue to
build science, technology and innovation capacities through its science,
technology and innovation policy (STIP) reviews, and through its network of
centres of excellence project.
- Participants concluded that improved access to information and communication
technologies and the creation of an enabling, inclusive environment would arise
from — and must be accompanied by — infrastructure improvements.
Challenges include, among others, unreliable power supplies, poor transportation
networks, lack of fixed telecommunications, lack of fibre-optic connectivity, and
the lack of means to exploit technology convergence. Inclusive, pro-poor policies
on information and communications technology are essential to overcoming these
challenges. Also highlighted was the role of public-private partnerships.
- There was general consensus among the participants that without increasing
access to broadband, the information and communications technology and human
resource potential in developing countries would remain unlocked. It was also
pointed out that information and communications technology applications lacked
local content and context, thus the extent to which they can be applied locally
was often limited. Therefore, while the digital divide may be shrinking in some
areas, large disparities in terms of access to information and communication
technologies and knowledge, penetration and affordability still exist, both
between developed and developing countries and within countries and regions.
Additionally, new forms of the digital divide are emerging regarding broadband
and local digital content.
- Participants called on all stakeholders to assist developing countries in their
efforts towards narrowing the digital divide, particularly with regard to access,
affordability, speed in broadband, local content and data privacy. They also
encouraged all stakeholders to continue to cooperate on and to develop
information and communications technology partnerships towards capacitybuilding,
technology and knowledge transfer and research and development.
- As a contribution to the theme of the 2009 Economic and Social Council annual
ministerial review on “implementing the internationally agreed goals and
commitments in regard to global public health”, a special panel discussion was
devoted to “Delivering innovation in global public health”. Participants
concluded with several calls for action, to national Governments and the
international community.
- Participants requested the Commission on Science and Technology for
Development, during its thirteenth session, to organize a substantive discussion
on the five-year progress made in the implementation of the World Summit on
the Information Society outcomes, including consideration of the modalities of
implementation and follow-up to the World Summit on the Information Society.
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