Executive Secretaries’ Dialogue with Second Committee

1. The UN, Development, Globalization and Interdependence Executive Secretaries’ Dialogue with Second Committee

2. Fostering Knowledge and Innovation for Development in a Globalizing world: Regional Perspectives Mr. Abdoulie Janneh UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, ECA 18 October 2006, New York Nurturing Alliances for Regional and Interregional Cooperation in Science and Technology

3. Content • STI Development and Economic Growth • Development of STI in a Globalization Context • Outcome Document • WSIS • STI in Africa • Role of ECA • ISTD: ICTs, Geoinformation, S&T, KM • Nurturing Alliances • Global • Interregional • Regional • Challenges and Lessons Learnt • The way forward

4. STI, Development and Economic Growth • STI supports all pillars of the Economy • Proven significance of STI for economic and industrial growth and employment • STI singled out in WSIS, WSSD process and the outcome document/SG's report and MDGs. • More recently a number of reports (by the World Bank, UN Commission for Science and Technology for Development etc) acknowledge that STI important for development, sustainable development in particular • Basis for Knowledge Economies

5. Outcome Document • “Important role of science, technology and innovation in enhancing economic well-being is widely recognized.” • General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/204

6. STI in a Globalized Context • OutcomeDocument • MDGs • WSSD • WSIS Meeting Global Commitments for STI: Africa’s Challenge

7. World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) • Both the Geneva and Tunis phases of the WSIS put emphasis on regional and international cooperation for the promotion of ICT, Science, Technology and Innovation.

8. STI in Africa • Research and Development Source: Human Development Report 2005

9. STI in Africa • Access to Knowledge and information Source: Economic Commission for Africa, 2005

10. ECA Repositioning ICTs, Geoinformation S&T (ISTD) – ECA’s Response • To support industrialization and sustainable development efforts in member States • Facilitate new competitive environment for Knowledge Economy • Increasing science, technology and innovation in development activities

11. ECA Repositioning Geoinformation S&T (ISTD) – ECA’s Response ISTD: Access to Knowledge • Access to information and knowledge resources through the African Virtual Library and Information Network (AVLIN) • Knowledge Management within ECA and member States

12. Alliances • Regional, interregional and global alliances area mutually reinforcing in this particular sector • They are necessary for shared experiences, fostering new ideas and for developing standard comparable indicators as to how countries are advancing for • These alliances also foster cooperation among countries and across continents such as South-South, North-South etc. • Alliances increasingly the way forward in STI as result of digital technologies.

13. Alliance Matrix Interregional • Building STI Communities • Research & Development • Policy & Strategies • Capacity Building • Links to Industries Global National Regional

14. ESCWA Global Alliance • Outcome of WSIS Phases I and II

15. Interregional Alliance Regional Commissions’ Knowledge Networks Coordinated by ESCWA

16. Regional Alliances • ICTs/VarsityNet African Research Network Information Society Indicators African languages and content development in cyberspace Enabling Environment VarsityNet/AAU VarsityNet/IUCEA ICT Industrialization

17. Regional Alliances • ICTs/VarsityNet Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS) Geo Information Institutions Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) African Organization of Cartography and Remote Sensing (AOCRS)

18. Regional Alliances • ICTs/VarsityNet Geo Information Institutions African Network of Scientific and TechnologicalInstitutions (ANSTI) S&T Institutions NEPAD S&T

19. Regional Alliances • ICTs/VarsityNet Geo Information Institutions S&T Institutions

20. STI Regional Alliances: Role of ECA • ICTs • PICTA • ePol-NET Africa • Geoinformation • Africa GIS • CODI-Geo • UNGIWG • S&T • UN S&T Cluster • NEPAD S&T

21. Challenges and Lessons Learnt • Unattractive working conditions oblige Africans to leave their countries, thus increasing Africa's brain drain. • Unattractive working conditions oblige Africans to leave their countries, thus increasing Africa's brain drain. • Africa's higher education institutions and R&D centers in a severe state of crisis: lack of physical infrastructure & limited access to ICTs, educational resources, research data, financial resources etc. • Africa's higher education institutions and R&D centers in a severe state of crisis: lack of physical infrastructure & limited access to ICTs, educational resources, research data, financial resources etc. • Limited capacities to develop adapt and exploit scientific and technological solutions that respond to their specific needs • Limited capacities to develop adapt and exploit scientific and technological solutions that respond to their specific needs

22. Challenges and Lessons Learnt • Limited knowledge and expertise on the role that IPR systems could play in fostering innovation, knowledge diffusion and competition • Limited knowledge and expertise on the role that IPR systems could play in fostering innovation, knowledge diffusion and competition • Limited resources to create viable and competitive physical/virtual networks of excellence between African / International institutions of higher education and STI institutions • Limited resources to create viable and competitive physical/virtual networks of excellence between African / International institutions of higher education and STI institutions

23. Way Forward: Nurturing Regional and Interregional Alliances ECA NEPAD STI AU (RECs) ADB STI Communities UN Wide Partners

24. Thank-you!www.uneca.org