A commitment for the 21st century

Africa is one of the world's richest regions in terms of natural resources, yet has seen little of the profits from their exploitation. In 1995, 33 of the 48 least developed countries (LDCs) were in sub-Saharan Africa.
The region is blessed with vast mineral wealth, great agricultural capacity and rich diversity of plants and animals. Yet, as the market value of these commodities declines, Africa will need to stimulate the manufacture of value-added products in order to compete in an increasingly technological market place. And this will mean making a commitment to science and technology.
According to UNESCO's 1998 World Science Report, "_ Africa will be unable to rise above its current level of poverty without pursuing manufacturing more purposefully. Doing that will necessarily require greater focus on industrial R&D...".
It is against this background of complexity that UNESCO is working with Member States to strengthen existing science and technology (S&T) capacity in areas that are both appropriate and sustainable. And this includes nurturing tools for thought through training in basic and applied science, since Africa's main resource to carry it through the next millennium will be the creativity of its people.
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