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Working Groups
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REVIEW OF UNESCO’S SCIENCE PROGRAMMES
The Committee supports and contributes to the Major Review of UNESCO’s Sciences Programmes and the follow-up actions.
Since April 2005, the Committee through its Chair, acting with the UK Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, has been advocating a fundamental review of UNESCO’s Sciences Programmes.
A Draft Resolution mounted with other Member States was adopted by UNESCO’s 2005 General Conference and resulted in formation of a Review Committee with expert representation from all UNESCO’s Regions (the Committee Chair is a member and Vice Chair) to define UNESCO’s future course in the Sciences.
- The Review Committee's report, delivered in April 2007 recommended:
- Policy advice towards capacity building needs strengthening
- Programmes must address new scientific paradigms and "cutting edge" research
- Interdisciplinary and intersectoral activities need major strengthening;
- Science education should be a high priority
- The Intergovernmental/International Scientific Programmes need better coordination and synergy
- Outreach and partnerships need improvement
- Rigorous and transparent selection, assessment and evaluation of programmes and projects are required
- UNESCO's leadership must be enhanced through new global initiatives
- A science advisory committee is required
Following acceptance of the recommendations by the 2007 General Conference, the Working Group continues with oversight of the implementation and advice to UK Government on progress and further action.
To download:
REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL ON THE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EXPERT TEAM ON THE OVERALL REVIEW OF MAJOR PROGRAMMES II AND III (pdf 92 kb)
SCIENCE IN AFRICA
In recognition of the recommendations of the Commission for Africa Report, of the African Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action 2006-2010, and that Africa is a main target area for priority action both for UNESCO and the UK, the Working Group seeks to contribute to the renewal of the higher education system and enhancement of research and innovation capacity in science and technology in Africa through promoting N-S, N-S-S and S-S collaborations between HEIs/Centres of Excellence. It also identifies areas where UK input to UNESCO programmes would be beneficial for Africa and mobilises participation by UK civil society bodies to that end, engaging with UK Government Departments and other stakeholders to align efforts for the exchange of knowledge, experience and practices through partnerships and networks.
Read Science in Africa: UNESCO'S contribution to Africa's plan for science and technology to 2010
ISPs
The UK has National Committees in four of the six UNESCO ISPs:
Recognising the importance of promoting dialogue, synergies and coordination among these Programmes, the ISP Working Group provides a forum for cooperative discussion and planning and promotes joint action among the corresponding National Committee Chairs. It also provides generates coordinated inputs on relevant policy issues to UNESCO and UK Government.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
Recognising that enhancing scientific capacity in developing countries is greatly hampered by the inability to access scientific information, the Working Group seeks to expand access to knowledge and data, in the first instance exploring areas such as free/low cost scientific journals and literature access schemes, and science journalism.
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