Improving STI policy conditions and building mechanisms for innovation in Africa
2008-2013

Assessment of the Status of African Science and Technology Policy Formulation

In cooperation with the African Union (AU), UNESCO will conduct a survey of Member States to determine which countries have S&T policies and whether these policies are adequate for meeting present S&T needs and orientations. The survey will include an analysis of training needs in terms of the capacity to develop policies.

UNESCO’s Division for Science Policy and Sustainable Development and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) are organizing regional training workshops in Africa, in cooperation with the AU and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. The workshops follow the request from the African Member States for assistance in capacity-building in STI policy reviews. The first workshop was held in September 2008 for the countries of the Southern African Development Community and the second in March 2009 for 14 countries of East and North Africa (see below for details).

Expected results

• Publication of a report on the status of African science and technology policy.
• Holding of several sub-regional workshops in Africa to build capacity in STI policy reviews

UNESCO publishes report on S&T in Burundi

July 2009 - UNESCO has just published a report which describes the current state of R&D in the Republic of Burundi and proposes a series of recommandations in the form of discussion points for the commissions which will be working on the country’s Strategic Plan for Science, Technology and Research for Sustainable Development. Read the report (in French).

Parliamentarians call for network to support S&T for development in Eastern Africa

April 2009 - Parliamentarians from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Egypt plan to establish a sub-regional network of parliamentarians in support of science and technology for development. This recommendation is outlined in the Mombasa Declaration adopted on 3 April at the end of a five-day capacity-building workshop in STI policy and scientific forum for parliamentarians organized by UNESCO’s Division for Science Policy and Sustainable Development, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, African Union/New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the Kenya Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Technology. (More)

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