Address by

Koïchiro Matsuura
Director-General
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)

at the launching of the
Science, Technology and Innovation Policy of Lebanon

Beirut, Lebanon 27 April 2006

Your Excellency, Mr Fouad Sanioura, Prime Minister of Lebanon,
Distinguished Ministers,
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to be in Beirut this morning for the launching of the science, technology and innovation policy of Lebanon. This is my first visit to your beautiful country and I attach great significance to this visit as it coincides with the particular moment when your government and the political forces are engaged in a process of building national unity with the objective of pursuing a progressive policy of democratic reform and social liberalization.
Let me first of all express my gratitude to the Government of Lebanon and namely to you Mr Prime Minister for having invited me to be here at this very important event. Let me also express my sincere thanks for the warm hospitality with which we have been welcomed.

UNESCO, as lead agency within the United Nations System for science, is honoured to be associated with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research in the challenging endeavour of formulating Lebanon's national science policy. I wish to underline the fact that this exercise is the result of a collective effort and that ALECSO (Arab League of Education, Culture and Science Organization) and ESCWA have made decisive contributions.

Many factors are reshaping national science and technology systems such as globalization and the international dimension of science, the increased recognition of the importance of mission-directed research as well as of greater returns on research investments, the involvement of different stakeholders in the scientific enterprise, the strong ties between science and society, and the necessity to meet the environmental requirements for sustainable development. These factors are likely to have profound implications for national policies and programs. It is essential that policymakers at all levels have a solid foundation for understanding this new condition, so we can build national policies and programs that best support science, technology and innovation.

Governments have an important role to play in creating an environment in which science can develop and innovation be facilitated. Science policy needs to allocate resources in a way that reflects the actual state of science, and its capacity for addressing the needs of society. This requires participatory approach and continuous dialogue between the policy-makers and scientists who lead the work. The Lebanese Council for Scientific Research stands at the strategic intersection of science and government.

UNESCO supports national science policy reform initiatives with a view to contributing to the achievement of a country's economic and social aims, including growth and the creation of jobs, sustainable development, improved well-being of their citizens and advancing the frontiers of knowledge. UNESCO also pays particular attention to the integration of science, technology and innovation policy with other aspects of government policy, which is of even more importance in the development of increasingly globalised knowledge economies.

Of course, there is no single science policy formula that works to foster science, technology and innovation development in all regions. For this reason the General Conference of UNESCO has stressed the importance of analyzing national systems of innovation in order to compare experiences from different economic and cultural settings, to propose good practices, and to reinforce and reform such systems.

The priorities for scientific research in Lebanon include areas such as the sustainable management of coastal areas and marine resources of energy, of water resources and of biodiversity; biotechnologies and their applications both for agriculture and health in Lebanon; information and communication technology as tools and products and their diffusion in the business and industrial sectors; web technology and Arabization of software; and finally smart materials and technologies. I also noted with great interest the area of ethics of science.

Most of these priorities correspond, to a large extend, to the areas of UNESCO's actions in the fields of sciences. We have always recognized the fact that the contribution of science cannot be based only upon the value of research and knowledge on their own terms but must also be justified by their relevance to and effectiveness in addressing the needs of society and in meeting the macro- economic objectives of government. This is a challenge at national and international levels. Scientific progress has been marked by major advances in knowledge accompanied by a great improvement in living conditions. Acknowledging this fact, UNESCO has launched an International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP) with a view to mobilizing the international community in favour of basic research and its applications. I hope that Lebanon will be an active partner in this programme.

In the field of health, for example, a large number of diseases can now be controlled more effectively. Thanks to science, new cures and treatment are being generated thus increasing life expectancy. Moreover, new technologies contributed to making surgery safer. That is why I appreciate the fact that this area is identified in your Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) for priority action with the objective of playing a lead role within the region. Agricultural technologies, also identified in the STIP, are increasing crop yields while reducing the need to spray herbicides and insecticides on your crops and into your environment. The application of biotechnologies in this domain has proven to be rewarding. Here again, UNESCO has an important programme in the area of biotechnology and I invite you to take part in its activities.

Water has also been identified in the STIP for priority action. Rational management of water and its related ecosystems is UNESCO's principal priority in science. A number of UNESCO water science institutes and centres have been created. They act as a source of expertise and may provide training opportunities for your specialists. I invite you to take full advantage of the possibilities that UNESCO offers in this area.

The new ICTs technologies are revolutionizing the way we learn, work and play - all while improving our quality of life. New computational power has given us the keys to our genetic code, transformed the global economy and opened major business and community service opportunities. These technologies also offer great potential to increase productivity, promote economic growth and revolutionize how we deliver services. UNESCO has a lot to offer in this field and we are ready to cooperate with you in the implementation of this component of the STIP.

Your determination to deploy scientific resources, including ICTs, for economic and social development in order to realize your national objective of creating a new knowledge-based society sends us a strong message of your commitment in designing the present and the future of science and technology in Lebanon. The challenges are many, Mr Minister, and the implications for your country are enormous.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The reform and revitalization of the Lebanese scientific research system is an important challenge. Given the tradition of excellence in your country and the contribution of Lebanese scientists and engineers at the regional level, this reform will have a positive impact not only in Lebanon, but hopefully in the whole region.

In commending the efforts of the Lebanese Government to adopt a new science, technology and innovation policy, I would like to assure you that UNESCO will be one of the partners that will support your efforts. I hope this meeting will be the beginning of a process whereby UNESCO and the Government of Lebanon would work together to build an international partnership from within and outside the UN system and mobilize the resources necessary for the implementation of the new policy.

In closing, I would like to extend my best wishes to each and every one of the national and the international experts and to thank them for having made available their experience to ensure the success of this process.

Thank you.