The RCM met for the ninth time on 21-22 October 2008 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). That the meeting should have been chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations is indicative of the importance now accorded this activity.
Several recommendations came out of the RCM’s ninth meeting pertaining to the UN Science and Technology Cluster. These recommendations were addressed at the cluster’s meeting in September, in order for it to be able to report back to the next RCM meeting in November 2009.

Among the recommendations that concern the S&T cluster:

1. Develop a cluster business plan [On the S&T Cluster report during the 9^th meeting of the RCM, it was indicated that "...instead of a Business Plan, cluster Members agreed to adopt a flexible planning and coordination framework in order to identify joint activities...".
2. Mainstream climate change in your thematic cluster program
3. Establish a governance structure within which the cluster should:
   • Have a Coordinator and a Co-Coordinator to improve performance
   • Have modalities of reporting, follow-up of decisions and commitments as well as joint assessments of the cluster achievements
   • Prepare progress reports on the cluster achievements based on agreed templates and measurable benchmarks of achievements, indicating major challenges, lessons learned and proposed solutions to improve future activities
4. 4. Draft/Review the terms of reference for the cluster, outlining in detail the role and responsibility of the cluster coordinator, co-coordinator and its members. The 10^th meeting of the RCM is scheduled for the first week of November 2009. The Cluster is mandated to report on cluster activities during the annual meeting of the RCM. cluster's activities in the past 7 months as well as planned activities up to October 2009 in order to be able to prepare for the next report.

Cluster Members have therefore been requested to send the following information so that we can start preparing for the Cluster meeting as well as the draft report for the 10^th RCM:

• a summary of their activities undertaken in Africa in the past year and
• foreseen activities planned for the next year, which have the potential for ‘joint implementation’ between the different agencies
• the above will help all Cluster Members to identify common projects based on mandates in an “inter-agency initiative”
• this latter would add value to the Cluster and promote efforts to coordinate/harmonize our implementation in Africa.

Please see agenda and presentations below

1. Agenda of the Cluster meeting, 4 September 2009 Geneva
2. The 9th RCM Report
3. Key Recommendations of the 9^th RCM
4. UN S&T cluster Report Meeting 10/2008
5. Activity Reports received from Cluster Members, 2009
   UNECA
   UNIDO
   UNCTAD
   WIPO
   UNU-MERIT
   UNESCO (180 EX-8 ENG - 35C5-UNESCO - EXB 182-EX 12 Eng)
   NEPAD
6. Report of the Conference of African Ministers of Industry (CAMI), Strategy for the Implementation of the Plan of Action for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa
7. Presentation delivered by the Current Chair of the African Ministerial Council for Science and Technology (AMCOST), Permanent Secretary Professor C. Kiamba, Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Technology
8. Presentation delivered by Dr Philippe Kuhutama MAWOKO, Coordinator, African Science, Technology & Innovation Indicators (ASTII) Initiative ,NEPAD Office of Science & Technology
9. Other presentations :
   Regional Coordination Mechanism - RCM
   UNU MERIT
   UNCTAD
   UNECA
   UNESCO