Science and Technology Committee approves action to set up global information network.

Science and Technology Committee approves action to set up global information network

The Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development has called for a wide range of activities by Governments and the United Nations system to develop a global information network and enhance international co-operation in the field of scientific and technological information.

The Committee's action--taken by consensus at its seventh session (28 May-7 June, New York)--grew out of its recognition of the importance of making scientific and technological information easily available to developing countries. It was the first time since the Intergovernmental Committee's establishment in 1979 that it has focused on a substantive theme.

The Committee agreed that setting up and strengthening national information systems should be the main thrust of efforts to develop a global network, and that the activities of the developing countries towards that end should be encouraged on a priority basis by seeking international assistance "through all possible means". The United Nations system and other national and international organizations active in the field of scientific and technological information were invited to provide support to the developing countries in setting up or strengthening their information networks.

The Committee decided to study the feasibility of extending to all sciences and technologies the existing International Referral System for Sources of Environmental Information (INFOTERRA) of the United Nations Environment Programme, which assists Governments and decisionmakers in obtaining environmental information. In that context, the Secretary-General was requested to ask Governments what contributions they would be willing to make towards the network in terms of access to national science and technology information systems, manpower training facilities, technical assistance and other kinds of support.

In addition, the Secretary-General was asked to consult Governments on their needs and priorities in terms of areas and types of information on information sources they would require from a global network, as well as their most urgent needs for technical assistance and personnel training in connection with creating or strengthening their national information systems. The developing countries were invited to formulate projects to provide them with basic primary information sources, such as journals and magazines, as an essential part of the national systems.

Information network

The proposed global information network was among the recommendations in the Vienna Programme of Action on Science and Technology for Development, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development in 1979. It is regarded as an essential step in restructuring international scientific and technological information systems to make them more accessible to developing countries.

In a report on existing and planned information systems and services of the organizations of the United Nations systems (A/CN.11/57), the Secretary-General explained that "the global network is not meant to replace any of the existing or planned United Nations system sectoral, national, regional or international information systems and services, but should rather be viewed as a means of strengthening them and providing, through a shared knowledge of all participating organizations, the means for their intercommunication and linkage".

The Advisory Committee on Science and Technology for Development, in discussing the proposed global information network at its February 1985 meeting (A/CN.11/59), concluded that adequate national efforts in the area of scientific and technological information were the essential base on which any global network must be built, and that each developing country needed a certain minimum of primary information to sustain scientific and technological activities relating to its own development. "Urgent, special efforts" were needed towards that end, the Advisory Committee said.

It recommended that, at the international level, attention be directed first to developing a global referral service to enable national systems to locate relevant information sources. Activation of a "source referral function"--providing information on sources of information on science and technology--was also recommended.

In a report analysing the results of a study on the long-term plan of action for the establishment of the information network (A/CN.11/56), the Secretary-General called for the strengthening of international assistance to developing countries in setting up their own national information systems and networks, especially through the strengthening of the Intergovernmental programme for Co-operation in the Field of Scientific and Technological Information (UNISIST).

Other action

During its two-week session, the Intergovernmental Committee also conducted a mid-decade review of implementation of the 1979 Vienna Programme of Action, and decided to take an end-of-the-decade review in 1989. After considering three related reports on progress achieved over the past five years at the national, regional and international levels (A/CN.11/61, 62 and 63), the Committee expressed disappointment at the slowing down of international scientific and technological co-operation and at the level of progress in most of the height programme areas in the operational plan to implement the Vienna Programme.

The eight major programme areas are:

Scientific and technological policies and plans for development; creating and strengthening scientific and technological infrastructure; choice, acquisition and transfer of technology; development of human resources for science and technology for development; financing science and technology for development; scientific and technological information; strengthening research and development in and for developing countries and their linkage to the productive system; and strengthening co-operation in the field of science and technology among developing countries, and between developing and developed countries.

It called on the international community to increase its efforts to provide the additional resources required, taking into account the needs of the least developed countries in particular. All Governments were urged to make efforts to bring into effect as soon as possible the long-term arrangements for the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development.

The Committee recommended that the Economic and Social Council carefully consider measures to promote further inter-agency co-operation and collaboration in the field of science and technology for development. In addition, all national and international donors were requested to provide support to the Centre for Science and Technology for Development.

As part of the Committee's programme to strengthen its role, it decided to meet biennially rather than annually, starting in 1987. It also recommended a set of guidelines--as a basis for further discussion at its 1986 session--for selecting substantive themes. The guidelines suggest that those themes:

* should be closely related to the programme areas of the operational plan of the Vienna Programme of Action and should address policy issues related to strengthening the development of endogenous scientific and technological capabilities in developing countries;

* should be designed to promote the collective self-reliance of developing countries in science and technology for development; and

* should be of relevance and interest of both developed and developing countries, as well as to United Nations bodies dealing with science and technology for development.