Annual meeting of the african Science Academy Development Initiative

Science Academies as partners for Imroving the impact of

Policies in Africa

M. El Tayeb, Director Science Policy and Sustainable

Development, UNESCO

CPA: an African Policy Framework

African Member States, sharing common objectives adopted a Consolidated Plan of Action on Science& Technology

Lagos Plan of Action

The Organisation of African Unity adopted“Lagos Plan of Action for the Economic

Development of Africa: 1980-2000”

Formulation of national science and technology policies & the establishment of national science and technology Systems Commitment of funding to R&D activities

in Science & Technology to a minimum of 1% GDP rising to 3% GDP (by the year 2000)

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Lessons learnt

The impact of science and technology to economic growth and development can be limited in the absence of other socio-economic inputs and determined political drive

It is often the motivation for growth and change that prompts scientific and technological innovation and not the reverse

It was wrong to believe that the advance of science and technology can be centrally directed by arbitrary selection of national scientific objectives and the subsequent commitment of national resources

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For the scientific community to be credible, it must respond to the needs of the population. Science policy priorities should therefore reflect this

Research-basedWith Strong linkage to the productive sectors

Science Ministries versus others

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The Consolidated Plan of Action.. (CPA)

A new begining

The Plan is built on three interrelated conceptual pillars:

capacity building

knowledge production, and

technological innovation

Addis Declaration on S&T and Scientific Research for Development, called upon UNESCO to assist in implementation

AU Consolidated Plan of Action

African Science Technology and Innovation Policy Initiative

Objectives: Review / formulate national STI policies for those

African countries lacking STI policies STI Policy Specialists trained ASTIPI post graduate course designed and

implemented

UNESCO Action Plan for STI in Africa

3 flagships :

• Science Policy

• African Virtual Campus

• Science, Technology and Engineering Education

STI Policy Reviews 2008-2009

Policies formulated with UNESCO

Policy formulation planned

Policy formulation ongoing

Policies formulated by Countries

STI policy, STI statistics and indicators training workshop (UNESCO, UIS, AU/NEPAD)

- West Africa, Nov 2007

- SADC, Sept 2008

University-Industry-Science Partnership

Capacity building in governance of S&T parks World Technopolis Association (WTA) International Association of Science Parks (IASP) S&T Parks

economic and technological development complexes promote STI and commercialization of research

Intermediate Agencies

Forster innovation and commercialzation Science Parks Incubators

UNESCO – African Union

Strategic Partnership for STI

• UNESCO leads UN S&T Cluster for the Support of AU/NEPAD Plan of Action

• UNESCO represents UN within the African Cluster for S&T

• UNESCO is a member of AMCOST Steering Committee (May 2008)

• AU proposed a MOU designating UNESCO as implementing Agency for five projects in the area of Science policy and African Virtual Campus

The role of Parliament

The need for closer co-operation among policy-makers, parliamentarians, scientists, educationists, journalists, industry (public and private) and civil society;

The setting-up of parliamentary science committees in Africa

A first Parliamentary Science Forum took place in Brazzaville on 11-14 March 2008.

UNESCO International Review of S&T Statistics and Indicators

Unesco/UIS + AU/NEPAD

Governance of Science: role of Parliament

The need for closer co-operation among policy-makers, parliamentarians, scientists, educationists, journalists, industry (public and private) and civil society;

The setting-up of parliamentary science committees in Africa

A first Parliamentary Science Forum took place in Brazzaville on 11-14 March 2008.

UNESCO – African Union

Strategic Partnership for STI

• UNESCO leads UN S&T Cluster for the Support of AU/NEPAD Plan of Action

• UNESCO represents UN within the African Cluster for S&T

• UNESCO is a member of AMCOST Steering Committee (May 2008)

• AU proposed a MOU designating UNESCO as implementing Agency for five projects in the area of Science policy and African Virtual Campus

Conclusions

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Independent evidence-based poliocy advic is necessary

Science policy must also be linked to other Sectoral policies: agriculture, health, industryand economic develpment

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Link between science and technologyand economic development is not recognized

The Academies must takeup the challenge of making bthe case for science

"Creation, mastery and utilization of modern science is basically what distinguishes the South from the North."

Abdus Salam, 1979 Nobel Laureate for Physics

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Partner with the African Union AMCOST and UNESCO in this effort