Science and Technology for Development, G.A. res. 50/101, U.N. Doc. A/RES/50/101 (1995)



      
 
     The General Assembly,
 
     Reaffirming the continuing validity of the Vienna Programme of Action on
Science and Technology for Development, and recalling the relevant paragraphs
of the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular the
Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries,
the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations
Development Decade, the Cartagena Commitment, adopted by the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development at its eighth session, the relevant
recommendations and decisions adopted by the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development, particularly those contained in Agenda 21, and
the relevant resolutions and decisions adopted by organizations and bodies of
the United Nations system concerning science and technology for development,
 
     Bearing in mind the vital contribution of science and technology,
including new and emerging technologies, to the promotion of economic growth
and development, particularly in developing countries, and stressing the
importance of monitoring new developments in science and technology and their
implications for society, on production, employment and international
competitiveness, especially for developing countries,
 
     Recognizing the importance for developing countries of having access to
science and technology so as to enhance their productivity and competitiveness
in the world market, and stressing the need to promote, facilitate and
finance, as appropriate, access to and transfer of environmentally sound
technologies and the corresponding know-how, in particular to the developing
countries, on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential
terms as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual
property rights as well as the special needs of developing countries,
 
     Stressing the primary responsibility of all countries for their own
science and technology policies, and the need to further promote endogenous
capacity-building in science and technology in developing countries so as to
enable them to participate in, benefit from and contribute to the rapid
advances in science and technology,
 
     Recognizing that information technologies are important requisites for
planning, development and decision-making in science and technology, and
recognizing also their far-reaching implications for society,
 
     Recognizing the importance of developing countries' own efforts in the
field of science and technology for development,
 
     Reaffirming that the United Nations should play an important role in the
promotion of cooperation in science and technology, and in the enhancement of
support and assistance to developing countries in their efforts to achieve the
objectives set forth by the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development in this regard,
 
     Recognizing the work of the Commission on Science and Technology for
Development in promoting the developing countries' endogenous capacity in
science and technology, and recognizing its unique function as a global forum
for the examination of science and technology questions, for the improvement
of the understanding of science and technology policies for development and
for the formulation of recommendations and guidelines on science and
technology matters within the United Nations system, all in relation to
development,
 
     Recognizing the role of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development in science and technology for development, as reaffirmed in
General Assembly resolution 48/179 of 21 December 1993,
 
     Recognizing the need for adequate resources to be devoted to fostering
science and technology for development,
 
     Recognizing the special needs and requirements of developing countries,
in particular the least developed countries, especially those in Africa,
 
     Also recognizing the relevant problems of countries with economies in
transition in the sphere of the transformation and development of their
scientific and technological potentials,
 
     Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation
of programme 17, science and technology for development, of the medium-term
plan for the period 1992-1997,
 
     1.   Reaffirms the relevant resolutions and decisions adopted by the
Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1995 on the basis of
the report of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development on its
second session;
 
     2.   Reaffirms that capacity-building in science and technology in
developing countries should remain a priority issue in the United Nations
agenda, and urges that international cooperation efforts be intensified and
strengthened towards developing countries' endogenous capacity-building in
science and technology, including their capacity to utilize scientific and
technological developments from abroad and to adapt them to suit local
conditions;
 
     3.   Calls upon the international community to meet all the objectives as
reaffirmed in chapter 34 of Agenda 21, in particular those dealing with
effective access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies,
including new and emerging technologies and publicly owned technologies, to
developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and
preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to
protect intellectual property rights as well as the special needs of
developing countries, so as to contribute to enabling those developing
countries to meet their development-related challenges;
 
     4.   Stresses that it is important for developing countries to adopt and
implement their own science and technology policies that support the national
effort to achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development in the
light of their respective national conditions, needs, priorities and
objectives;
 
     5.   Stresses the need to strengthen the important role of the United
Nations in the field of science and technology, particularly through effective
policy guidance and better coordination, including in international
cooperation in technology assessment, monitoring and forecasting;
 
     6.   Recognizes the role of the private sector in science and technology
for development, in particular in the transfer and development of science and
technology capabilities;
 
     7.   Also recognizes the role of Governments in science and technology
for development, in particular in providing appropriate regulatory frameworks
and incentives for the development of science and technology capabilities;
 
     8.   Requests the relevant organizations, funds and programmes of the
United Nations, in the spirit of coordination that should prevail in the
activities of the United Nations system in the field of science and technology
for development, to work in a coordinated manner to develop a catalogue of
proved technologies that will enable developing countries to make effective
choices from among state-of-the-art technologies;
 
     9.   Calls upon the Commission on Science and Technology for Development
and the Commission on Sustainable Development to interact more effectively,
through the Economic and Social Council, in carrying out their respective
mandates;
 
     10.  Calls upon the supporting secretariats of the Commission on Science
and Technology for Development and the Commission on Sustainable Development
to improve their interaction;
 
     11.  Takes note of the developments at the Consultative Meeting on a
Coalition of Resources for Science and Technology for Development and the
recommendation of the Economic and Social Council that the Commission on
Science and Technology for Development provide a forum for exchanging views
and interaction among partners of different networks and coordination schemes;
 
     12.  Reaffirms the need for adequate financial resources on a continuous
and assured basis to foster science and technology for development, in
particular to promote endogenous capacity-building in developing countries in
accordance with their priorities;
 
     13.  Notes with appreciation the measures taken by the Secretary-General
in response to paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 48/179 and invites
him to continue to take all necessary measures, including to explore the
possibility of organizing a more effective coalition of resources within the
United Nations development system, multilateral financial institutions,
regional development banks and bilateral funding agencies to ensure the full
implementation of programme 17, science and technology for development, of the
medium-term plan for the period 1992-1997 and the activities planned for
1996-1997 in the field of science and technology for development, in
accordance with specific mandates provided for in the relevant Assembly
resolutions;
 
     14.  Takes note that enhanced cooperation could help focus the activities
of the United Nations system in the field of science and technology for
development for greater impact;
 
     15.  Recognizes the importance of cooperation among developing countries
in the field of science and technology, building on their complementarities,
and the need for further advancing such cooperation through the establishment
and/or the strengthening of national technology and information centres in
developing countries and their networking on regional, subregional,
interregional and global levels to promote technology research, training and
dissemination as well as joint projects in developing countries, and urges the
organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and other relevant
international, regional and subregional organizations and programmes to
provide continued and enhanced support, through technical assistance and
financing for such efforts;
 
     16.  Requests the relevant organizations, funds and programmes of the
United Nations system to continue to promote the development of effective and
mutually beneficial technological cooperation between countries with economies
in transition and all other countries, including in the area of new and
emerging technologies;
 
     17.  Notes the endorsement by the Economic and Social Council of the
decision of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development to select
information technologies as the main substantive theme of its work during the
inter-sessional period 1995-1997 and to set up panels and/or working groups to
analyse, elaborate and make recommendations on issues pertaining to
information technologies and their implications for development;
 
     18.  Takes note of the decision of the Economic and Social Council to
invite the Commission on Science and Technology for Development to consider
ways and means for the formulation of a common vision regarding the future
contribution of science and technology for development, taking advantage of
the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Science and
Technology for Development, held at Vienna in 1979;
 
     19.  Stresses the potentially important role that the United Nations Fund
for Science and Technology for Development should play in enhancing endogenous
capacity-building in science and technology in developing countries, and calls
on all countries in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Fund;
 
     20.  Reaffirms the need for Governments and regional and international
bodies to take measures to ensure that women have equal access to and equal
opportunity to participate in scientific and technological areas, especially
in areas where they are not represented or are underrepresented;
 
     21.  Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General
Assembly at its fifty-second session on progress in the implementation of the
present resolution.
      

 

 



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