SANTIAGO, 13 November 2008: A regional cooperation protocol on science and technology to support innovation efforts was signed today after top government officials debated the issue during the 2008-2009 Inter-sessional Panel of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) taking place at ECLAC, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Carribean, headquarters from November 12-14.
The regional agreement identifies the need to have an instance of dialogue among countries in the region, where they can pose questions and make proposals to address the challenges in the management and implementation of science, technology and innovation policies. To do this, the agreement calls for creating an open and informal discussion forum on key issues related to these policies.
The first forum will take place at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago on the topic “Innovation, science and technology: the Latin American and Caribbean way of facing the crisis”.
The scientific, technological and productive capabilities among and within countries in the region are uneven. The creation of cooperation mechanisms will allow them to share capabilities and knowledge.
The agreement will also increase human and financial capabilities for large-scale projects, in which fragmented research will give way to synergies among the different scientific and technological development efforts.
The protocol arose after a special session on regional cooperation on science and technology among government officials from Latin America and the Caribbean responsible for innovation policies. They include representatives from Costa Rica, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Argentina, Nicaragua, Mexico and Uruguay.
The agreement includes creating mechanisms for joint efforts in the generation, dissemination and application of capabilities in new technological paradigms as well as in information and communications technologies, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
It also includes the creation of the first high-level training course for science and technology policy-makers in the region. The accord will serve to exchange experiences among countries and strengthen regional dialogue in the implementation of policies and preparation of studies. Additionally, the agreement calls for creating permanent institutional mechanisms to support and make this cooperation possible.
The assembly acknowledged the role played by ECLAC as facilitator and coordinator in the area of science, technology and innovation policies among the different parties of this mechanism for regional dialogue.
Kilde: www.eclac.org
