Science in Africa: UNESCO's Contribution to Africa's Plan For

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Science in Africa: UNESCO's Contribution to Africa's Plan For Contents Foreword 1 Biodiversity, Biotechnology and Indigenous Knowledge 2 Conservation and sustainable use of Information and Communication biodiversity 2 Technologies and Space Science and Technologies 15 Safe development and application of biotechnology 5 Information and communication technologies 15 Securing and using Africa’s indigenous knowledge 6 Establishing the African Institute of Space Science 17 Energy, Water and Desertification 7 Improving Policy Conditions and Building Building a sustainable energy base 7 Innovation Mechanisms 19 Securing and sustaining water 9 African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators Initiative 19 Combating drought and desertification 12 Improving regional cooperation in science and technology 20 Building a public understanding of science and technology 23 Building science and technology policy capacity 25 Annexes 26 Annex I: Microbial Resource Centres in Africa 26 Annex II: UNESCO Chairs in Science and Technology in Africa 26 Annex III: World Heritage Sites in Africa 27 Annex IV: Biosphere Reserves in Africa 28 Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the support of the UK Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and UK Department for International Development Edited by Susan Schneegans and Anne Candau This brochure has been possible thanks to the contributions of UNESCO staff at Headquarters and in the field. Graphic design by Maro Haas Printed in France © UNESCO 2007 Download a copy from: www.unesco.org/science Request a copy from UNESCO: (Paris): [email protected]; [email protected] (Nairobi): [email protected] (Cairo): [email protected] Or write to: Mustafa El-Tayeb, Director, Division for Science Policy and Sustainable Development, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO, 1 rue Miollis, 75732 Paris Cédex 15, France Foreword Koïchiro Matsuura Director-General of UNESCO January 2007 The Year 2007 promises to be a year of great opportunity for science in Africa. The African Union Summit, to be held in Addis Ababa in January, will take as its special theme Science, Technology and Innovation for Africa’s Socio-economic Development. African science ministers meeting in Cairo in November have also recommended that the Summit proclaim 2007 the Year of Science in Africa. These decisions reflect the continent’s growing realization that it cannot achieve economic prosperity, nor reach international development goals, without first achieving progress in science, technology and innovation. And there are many other encouraging signs. At its Summit in Khartoum in January 2006, the African Union not only endorsed Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action, but also established a tripartite AU/NEPAD/UNESCO High-Level Working Group to prepare a comprehensive programme for creating and funding regional centres of excellence, a key strategy of the Plan of Action. The building of scientific capacity demands a broad-based approach. This includes investment in good governance and in the formulation of a coherent science, technology and innovation policy that is integrated in national development plans. It also requires a well-functioning and inclusive education system, as one of the basic preconditions for all forms of science and knowledge-based development. Of importance, too, is the need to strengthen the linkages between research institutions and policy-makers, industry and the private sector, in order to foster innovation and ensure that its fruits are widely diffused. UNESCO is already providing support in all these areas of capacity-building, in particular through the promotion of regional and international cooperation as a major driver of scientific development. At their Cairo meeting, African science ministers recommended establishing a pan-African fund to accelerate the implementation of the Plan of Action. While increased international support is clearly important, the main basis of funding will remain that of African governments themselves. If African countries are to be in the driving seat of their own socio-economic development, they need to ensure sustained levels of investment in research and development (R&D). The target endorsed in Khartoum of devoting 1% of GDP to R&D by 2010 is an important step in this direction. Ministers also endorsed in Cairo a 20-year Biotechnology Strategy which recommends pursuing biotechnology and biosafety in parallel, in order to ensure that Africa can capture the economic, health care, environmental and industrial benefits from biotechnology, while at the same time managing the potential challenges, risks and trade-offs associated with the development, commercialization and application of biotechnology – as called for in the Plan of Action. UNESCO stands ready to support this African initiative via its programmes in the life sciences and bioethics. A Supplement to the present brochure illustrates UNESCO’s action in Africa in the social and human sciences, especially with regard to the promotion of the ethics of science and technology, and in particular bioethics. In this connection, I wish to draw attention to the Dakar Declaration on the Ethics of Science in Africa adopted at the last session of the World Commission on Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology, in December 2006. The Declaration provides an important framework for moving forward in this area. Human security in Africa is a primary concern for UNESCO. In the coming months, UNESCO will expand the Indian Ocean Tsunami Early Warning System to include Eastern African states, thereby strengthening the network of sea-level stations in this sub-region. I am pleased to present in the present brochure an outline of the ways in which UNESCO can contribute to Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action. Although a non- exhaustive list, the activities on the following pages will, I hope, serve to illustrate the depth of UNESCO’s commitment. 1 Biodiversity, Biotechnology and Indigenous Knowledge To conserve and sustainably use biodiversity, African countries Conservation and will need to harness and apply S&T…The NEPAD framework commits African countries to establishing regional networks sustainable use of of centres of excellence in science for conservation and sustainable use of the continent’s biodiversity. biodiversity Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action, 2006–2010 Biodiversity is disappearing biodiversity conservation within at an unprecedented international efforts like the rate. Worse, the trend Convention on Biological Diversity. appears to be accelerating, UNESCO does this by collecting, in spite of international peer-reviewing and ‘packaging’ commitments to reduce, or scientific information in the even halt, the rate of loss form of scientific assessments by 2010. Good systems like the Millennium Ecosystem of science governance Assessment. Published in 2005, capable of using biodiversity the latter included 30 sub-regional sustainably and equitably assessments. That for Southern will be essential if we are to Africa observed, for example, reverse the trend. that at least four of the eight Millennium Development Goals UNESCO UNESCO helps governments would not be met unless decisive © and policy-makers make action was taken to stabilize informed decisions about Impala in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin. ecosystem services. BOX 1 - The biosphere reserve concept The World Network of Biosphere and Senegal, and (since 2006) the Reserves currently consists of 507 sites Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the in 102 countries. Of these sites, 71 are Mediterranean shared by Morocco and situated in 29 African countries (see Spain. Annex IV). The ‘W’ Region Biosphere Reserve covers Each of these geographical areas has been Soudano-Guinean, Sudanese and Sahel nominated by the national government. biogeographic regions representing a Once approved by the MAB International wealth of biodiversity. The creation of Coordinating Council, the site remains the ‘W’ transboundary biosphere reserve under the sovereign jurisdiction of the marked the first concrete action by the country concerned. In parallel, it becomes Environment Initiative launched by NEPAD an internationally recognized ‘laboratory’ at the World Summit on Sustainable for sustainable development. Each Development in Johannesburg (2002). biosphere reserve also acts as a mechanism for knowledge-sharing, research and There are MAB National Committees in The biosphere reserve concept adopts a zoning monitoring, education, training and 32 African countries. Read about AfriMAB approach: strictly protected core areas are participatory decision-making. in Box 6. surrounded by buffer zones where people also live and work; and the whole is encircled by a transition area promoting sustainable development. Combining To reflect the fact that ecosystems don’t For details: www.unesco.org/mab these zones makes it possible to experiment recognize national borders, a growing with simultaneously promoting conservation of number of biosphere reserves are wildlife and sustainable use of biodiversity through transboundary. Africa counts three: the ‘W’ Angola, Burundi, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central eco-tourism, eco-industries or organic agriculture. African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic region straddling Benin, Burkina Faso and Similarly, one can experiment with integrating Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, both scientific and traditional knowledge into Niger, the Senegal Delta Transboundary
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