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: ” 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)

4 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

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

Research-based With Strong linkage to the productive sectors

Science Ministries versus others

10 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 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 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 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 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

24 Independent evidence-based poliocy advic is necessary Science policy must also be linked to other Sectoral policies: agriculture, health, industry and economic develpment

25 Link between science and technology and 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

27 Partner with the African Union AMCOST and UNESCO in this effort