Science in Africa: UNESCO'S contribution to Africa's plan for science and technology to 2010

(24/11/2006) UNESCO has put together a brochure on its contribution to Africa’s Plan for Science and Technology to 2010 in the lead up to the forthcoming African Union Summit, in January 2007, and the meeting of African Ministers of Science and Technology on 23-24 November 2006.

The theme of the 8th summit meeting of the African Union Heads of State, to be held in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in January 2007, is Scientific Research, Technology and Innovation for Africa's Socio-economic Development. On 23-24 November 2006, African Ministers of Science and Technology will be meeting in Cairo (Egypt) ahead of the forthcoming summit; the UNESCO delegation to the Cairo meeting will be headed by Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences. In preparation for this event, UNESCO has put together a brochure on its contribution to Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action.

The Science for Africa brochure outlines UNESCO’s ongoing programmes and activities in Africa. It echoes the objectives of the AU/NEPAD’s Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action and provides a “foretaste of the ways in which UNESCO can lend its support to NEPAD”.

Since 2004, the UK Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and the UK National Commission for UNESCO have endeavoured to harness UK and UNESCO science cooperation to work towards common goals for science and technology in international development, supporting initiatives such as the UNESCO and BBC Worldwide Memorandum of Understanding.