• Science and technology are key components of social integration, sustainable development and poverty eradication based on equity, freedom, justice, governance and solidarity
• Science and technology should facilitate globalization with human development, strengthening national governance, international solidarity, and the sharing of scientific and technological knowledge and information
• Science and technology are tools of international co-operation and solidarity.

Mission

Upstream Technical Advice to Member States [it comes before the implementation of projects and activities, or downstream phase]:

• Promote sustainable development, especially:
  • Social integration: stopping exclusion and marginalisation, through equality of scientific, educational and cultural opportunities
  • Valorisation, conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity
  • Sharing the opportunities and benefits of the knowledge society and economy
  • Valorisation and strengthening of local and indigenous knowledge and culture
  • Empowerment of women
  
  
• Assist national and local organisms responsible for scientific and technological development and innovation in the elaboration of science and technology (S&T) strategies, policies, projects and evaluations, and in S&T capacity building, aimed at sustainable development
• Integrate science, technology and innovation (ST&I) policy into the broader framework of major economic strategies and policies, linking ST&I to national economic and social objectives (improved dialogue between ST&I organisms and economic policy decision-makers)
• Translate ST&I policy into improved production capacity, increased productivity and competitiveness
• Maximize the reach and impact of scientific and technological knowledge and information as tools for participatory development
• Promote the ethical dimension of scientific and technological development
• Contribute to and promote international scientific and technological co-operation.

Objectives:

• Contribute to institutional capacity building: ST&I policy, training of high-level researchers and professors, R&D, and popularisation of S&T
• Support S&T for sustainable development projects, especially in Small Island Developing States
• Strengthen policy-oriented S&T statistics and indicators (Government, universities)
• Contribute to Project-related institutional capacity building: identification, formulation, management, evaluation (Logical Framework Approach)
• Upgrade institutional capacity regarding the (Multicriteria) Evaluation of R&D projects
• Assist the elaboration of ST&I policy reviews and in the assessment of countries' ST&I systems performance and governance
• Promote social (local) Systems of Innovation
• Assist in the design and establishment of Sectoral funds (innovation projects, high-level training of scientists and engineers)
• Strengthen University – Small and medium enterprise links

International Technical Co-operation Strategy:

• Multinational co-operation: significant participation of at least 2 institutions from at least 2 countries
• Sustainability: (self-reproduction) projects and activities that will independently continue in the future
• Subsidiarity (complementarity): UNESCO complements local and regional projects and activities
• Concentration of efforts and seed money
• Finite support periods: support to institutions/programmes/projects for a maximum of three years (sunset clause)