An important point derived from the General Conference was that of ratifying the decision of conferring special attention to the new technologies of information and communication, as well as those technologies connected to natural and life sciences, thus transforming these topics in transversal themes. The question of promoting information and communication technologies as a mean of erradicating poverty has also been highlighted. Following a recomendation by the Budapest Conference, the General Conference has also reinforced the idea of implementing a social contract between science and society (and vice versa). Another recomendation issued from Budapest and considered as a priority for UNESCO is the idea that states should create institutions capable not only of promoting a more efficient international cooperation (south-south and north-south) but also able of setting up this cooperation. The Conference has also underlined the importance of ethics in scientific activity, and particularly the repercussion of new biology over this question. This theme has also been discussed during a special Ministerial round-table organised to coincide with the General Conference. So in this manner, sciences will permeate all major UNESCO programs, reaching education (distance education), culture (thus transposing the obstacles imposed on the cultural interchange by linguistic diversity) and information and communication, which are now even more recognised as modern instruments for promoting development and also reducing the digital divide.

Through its multiple applications, science itself is considered as a pre-condition for the generation of development (we may recall Abdul Salam's reflexion that there is no applied science without science). The establishing of a close connection between basic science and applied sciences has constituted an immense progress for UNESCO's general policy in that sector. This will provide an important contribution for the updating of UNESCO's major programs.

Another important directive contained in C-5 and C-4 concerns not only the application of recommendations issued from the Budapest Conference, but also their follow-up. One should note that, generally speaking, this follow up should be undertaken with the same methodology adopted by the Dakar Conference. Maybe due to financial limitations common to this sort of procedure, the Secretariat decided only to recommend to Member States to inform of all national iniatives taken as a result of the Budapest "Plan of Action". This procedure may not be sufficient and thus render improbable the actual setting up of all mentioned initiatives.

Considering concrete actions taken by some of the Member States themselves, the General Conference has followed the recomendations of the Budapest Conference and has sanctioned some successful iniatives, such as bestowing international status to certain institutes (under the aegis of UNESCO) and also criating the following new institutes :

a) the Institute of Applied Mathematics, in Nice, following an announcement by the French Delegation at the Budapest Conference ;
b) the Institute for Water Education (IHE) at Delft , Netherlands ;
c) the International Centre for Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (CESAME), to be placed in Jordan following a German iniative ;
d) and the Regional Center on Urban Water Management in Tehran.

Notwithstanding the important decisions taken by the General Conference, iniatives of this kind have not taken place anywhere else in the world. However, in the area of natural and human science, institutes sponsored by UNESCO or those linked to the organisation had their survival guaranteed by a decision of the General Conference. Worth mentioning is the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), both located in Trieste, Italy, as well as the European Academy of Sciences Letters and Arts. One would wish that instead of just informing about developments on the organization of those institutes, UNESCO would actually induce Member States to create new centres and also to render the existing national and regional centres more accessible to the scientific comunity at large. Those could be later linked to UNESCO, thus increasing international scientific cooperation. That policy should be implemented specially by the developed countries - the North - main source of present day scientific and technological knowledge, essential to the promotion of social and economic development, to benefit, and in association with, the developing countries - the South. On this line of thought we should commend the participation of the Third World Academy of Sciences, afiliated to UNESCO, in the recently created International Pannel of Science Academies, which holds under its umbrella 80 of the main exhisting academies in the world. That participation enables TWAS to help UNESCO in dealing with problems connected with the underdevelopment of sciences in the third world. The increasing interchange between our Organization and other international institutions, like the World Bank and regional banks dealing in economic development, seems very promising. Also promising is the fact that the UNDP and the G-77 in New York have granted to the Third World Academy of Sciences -TWAS the international prize for technical cooperation, in recognition of the work done by that academy, particularly in the promotion of scientific cooperation among developing countries. As you know, scientific cooperation was the object of the Heads of State meeting held in Havana and that some of the recommendations issued from that meeting are also reflected in C-4 and C-5.

Nevertheless, scientific production in the third world still remains precarious (less that 8% of the world scientific production). If we bear in mind that UNESCO ressources directed to scientific and technologic development are also very limited, the situation will hardly change. The low percentage participation by different developing countries can only be reversed should different strategies be adopted. As regards to UNESCO, the G-77 should profit from the adoption in C-4 and C-5, of sciences as a transversal program. That will call for an increasing participation of science and of technology in all UNESCO actions, not only within the organization but also in its cooperation with other international, national or regional financing agencies. The quantity of high quality indexed scientific publications is indeed very modest. That alone would justify the preparation, by the G-77 Group, of a draft resolution to be later submitted to the Executive Board. Besides the above mentioned facts, it is clear that this project should refer to the specific needs of each geographic region. These needs can be identified and quantified with the help of the newly created UNESCO Institute of Statistics. The regional data provided by that Institute may help to assist the setting up of new projects directed to scientific development and also the formulation of national scientific and development plans by the Member States. These planning exercices are now under the responsibility of the social sciences sector.

Following along that line, we observe that in the developing countries the relationship between universities, research centres and the productive sector is a very fragile one. In Budapest, that aspect was considered as one of the main obstacles to development in our countries and it is also a point mentioned in different UNESCO science reports. So, one should bear that fact in mind when formulating future appropriate draft resolutions to be submitted to the Executive Board. It is a fact that in developing countries the business sector participation in scientific and technological production rarely reaches 10% of all expenses connected with science ; consequently, scientific production becomes almost completely a government responsibility. This situation seems to be reversing in various countries like South Korea, Mexico and Brazil, where these deficient policies are being corrected with the adoption of a legislation capable of stimulating the participation of companies in research and development, as is the case in developed countries. That is why, that in the context of the new globalised economy where privatisation seems to be a rule, some governments require that holders of privatised concessions should direct a part of their profits to research and development. Those values can reach up to 2% of their turnover. These measures deserve to be more widely known and for that UNESCO should organise specialists meetings to promote an exchange of experiences. These meetings would allow specialists to compare different policies and therefore define the best strategies for each different social economic reality. Merely as an example, the legislation recently (last ten years) adopted in Brazil. We hope that new and significant resources aimed at scientific research should be generated in that country.

The need for a stronger engagement towards sciences can be understood by observing the large disparities between countries and regions. It shows the Human Development Index by different countries, as well as its relationship with the low rates of scientific production.

The General-Conference has also approved the following draft resolutions for the science sector (Ref: document 31 C/63) :

A - Adopted "in extenso":

1) DR.73, submitted by South Africa, Australia, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Belgium and Nigeria, concerning the World Summit on Sustainable Development, that will take place in Johannesburg, on September 2002. This resolution aims to engage UNESCO, its member states, the UN system, NGO's and the private sector to become actively involved in the preparation and follow-up of the Summit, and invites the DG to examine the possibility of making the sustainable development a new cross-cutting theme for the whole of UNESCO's programme in the future.

B - Draft Resolutions concerning the document 31 C/5, Program II.1 - Science and Technology: capacity-building and management:

1) DR.55, submitted by Nigeria and Egypt and DR.67 presented by Italy, for sub-paragraph a) i) aiming to ensure the follow-up of the World Conference on Science (WCS), with particular attention to the implementation of the recommendations concerning gender equality, and through the promotion of local and traditional knowledge systems (see observations above);

2) The proposed resolution concerning the revised version for paragraph 02120 (Subprogram II.1.2) Science and technology capacity-building - was approved. This version makes special reference to capacity-building in the developing countries and to the contribution of scientific research on AIDS, primarily to support access to treatment and the development of a vaccine, by helping researchers in countries that are the most affected by the epidemic. It also assures the promotion of sustainable and renewable energies through the World Solar Programme, widening the use o solar energy especially in Africa. In view of the recent WCO, at Doha, contacts for these purposes should be made with India and Brazil.

C - Programme II.2 - Sciences, environment and sustainable development

1) DR 19 (Iran) and DR 68 (Belarus, Ukraine) for subparagraph a) (i) and a) (iii) concerning the fulfilment of biennial objectives set for the program "Water resources and ecosystems", in the framework of the International Hydrological Programme. The objective of this resolution is to minimise threats to vulnerable water resource systems, including emergency situations, and to develop an enhanced understanding of vulnerabilities and causes of water conflicts while developing co-operative approaches to reduce them through water resource management. In this sense, the recommendations set by the recently held "Global Conference on Oceans and Coasts at Rio + 10" should be followed-up by our Group.

2) DR.50 (India) for sub-programme II.2.2. (Ecological Sciences) to implement, in particular through the Man and the Biosphere programme, a plan of action to promote: a) an integrated management of land water and biodiversity, and promote conservation and sustainable use and consumption en an equitable manner, using the World Network of Biosphere Reserves as pilot sites; b) to improve human environment interactions in particular through environmental education en co-operation with Major Programme I ;c) enhance the scientific basis for an integrated approach to conservation and sustainable management of land, water and biodiversity. See last observations bearing on coastal population.

D - Programme II.2.3 - Co-operation in earth sciences and natural hazards reduction.

1) DR.35 (Brazil), aiming to promote the establishment of a satellite-based environmental data collection and analysis system for the mitigation of climate-related natural disasters in African countries. This project is an example of south-south technological transfer and co-operation between China and Brazil on one side and African countries on the other, under the auspices of UNESCO.

E - Subprogram II.2.4, paragraph 02240 - Towards sustainable living in coastal regions and on small islands. The GC approved the revised version, which makes special reference to the promotion of sustainable living in those regions, to small Island Developing States in general, and of Barbados + 5 , in particular, involving the 5 Intergovernmental scientific programmes and all sectors.

F - Proposed resolution for paragraph 02250, concerning Subprogram II.2.5. - UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, was approved as amended by the Executive board.

G - Project relating to cross-cutting themes, examined by Commission III.

1) DR 60 ( Peru), referring to paragraph 02400, authorises the DG to implement a 'Plan of Action' related to two cross-cutting themes: Eradication of poverty, especially extreme poverty and the contribution of information and communication technologies to the development of education, science and culture and the construction of a knowledge society.

The Commission III has also examined a number of other draft resolutions that even though not retained, mostly but not exclusively for budgetary reasons, deserved to be mentioned in the "Report of the Commission" for future consideration by the DG. It is, of course, G77's interest to verify if those projects are being taken into consideration during the 31 C/5 programme implementation.

DR73 (South Africa, Australia, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Belgium and Nigeria) suggesting the inclusion of the term "sustainable development to paragraphs 02210, 02220, 02230, 02240 and 02250, as well as the implementation of a follow-up unit for the "World Summit of Sustainable Development" (Johannesburg, September 2001);

DR27 (Sudan) with the aim of assisting LDCs in developing their scientific and technological capacities;

DR 64 (Hungary) concerning the International Forum for Young Scientists and its Secretariat which will be opened in Budapest;

DR 6 (Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda), aiming to assist the establishment of a regional centre for maintenance and MainteNet at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT);

DR 12 (Kenya) and DR 36 (Senegal), aiming to provide assistance in the development of capacities in chemical sciences in Africa;

DR 45 (Russian Federation), on the need for the creation of a legal and ethical framework for research in the field of bioengineering and the creation of a n international project of personal protein cultivation;

DR 48 (Bolivia), proposing, as a follow-up to Agenda 21 and the WCS, to launch a regional framework project on science for sustainable development;

DR 51 (India), proposing to set up an "Intellectual Resources Management Fund" to address the brain drain in developing countries and to maintain and improve the standards of S&T professionals in these countries;

DR 28 (Sudan), (paragraph 02210) regarding the establishment of a regional forum to support Member States for maintaining sound management and equitable water sharing through sustained peaceful co-operation;

DR 71 (Egypt), concerning the same paragraph, aiming at the promotion of current awareness and knowledge of recycling drainage water for use in agriculture and industry;

DR 29 (Sudan), concerning paragraph 02220, aiming at improving the capacity of countries of the Arab region to manage their protected areas efficiently, and establishing a regional training centre in Sudan for middle-level personnel responsible for wildlife management;

DR 72 (Egypt), (same paragraph) on enhancing the capacities of developing countries in the field of preservation and ensuring the origins of its inherited ecological flora and fauna;

DR 47 (Bolivia), concerning paragraph 02230, on the implementation of a regional, multidisciplinary mechanism in La Paz, for the management and monitoring of the impact of El Niño in landlocked countries and areas of South America, with a view to natural disaster prevention and prediction;

DR 21 (Kenya), also examined by Commission V, on the development of a marine information centre for countries in the Western Indian Ocean Region;

DR 1 (Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Malawi), concerning paragraph 02300, calling for the creation of a new cross-cutting project on the need for combating desertification in the arid and semi-arid southern Africa region integrating long-term studies, information and communication on sustainable use of natural resources.