Opening Statement

The United States is pleased to once again be a member of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and to be present at this 10 th anniversary session.

S&T for Development – A Common Global Imperative

Science and technology -- through cooperative research, innovation and the sharing of best practices -- are seminal to sustainable development. The reports today by Oman and the Dominican Republic were illustrative of how much can be accomplished. The more we do to advance in these areas, the better equipped we will be to deal with global, regional and local problems that impact our environment, health and economic well-being.

The United States enthusiastically fosters education, research and capacity building in science, technology and engineering because we know they represent the way forward to reduce poverty and foster development.

A continuing focus by the United Nations on these issues is crucial. In this universal forum we can be the advocates of relevant, effective, and focused science and technology for development.

Leaders around the world increasingly recognize the vital role of science, technology and engineering in powering economic growth and preparing their citizens to compete in the 21 st century knowledge society.

For example, over the last few years, UNESCO and the Organization of American States have emphasized these imperatives in their high level summits and work programs, particularly to strengthen Kindergarten through grade 12 science and mathematics education, augment university curricula and research programs, and harness the power of the Internet.

Most recently in Addis Ababa, Heads of Governments of the African Union pledged to increase funding for science, technology and engineering research and education, emphasizing that African youth must be encouraged to study and master these fields.

In short, our discussions this week are most appropriate and timely. Science and technology are increasingly ubiquitous and CSTD can help examine critical fields and issues for which more can be done to bring benefits to all corners of the globe.

ICT – Powerful Enabler of S&T and Development

We are also enthusiastic about the connection between the World Summit on the Information Society and using Information and Communication Technology to help power science and technology for development. In this regard, the United States Government would like to thank the Secretary-General and the Secretariat of the CSTD for their report and the introduction of it this afternoon. We found it to be complete and well organized. We are particularly pleased with the balanced and thoughtful recommendations.

The United States has been very active in advancing science and technology through ICT applications that aid development, including, for example:

• the creation of virtual science libraries that stimulate scientific and engineering education, cooperation and research;
• the application of geospatial technologies, such as remote sensing by satellite, Global Positioning Systems, and Geographic Information Systems and analysis to better understand environmental impacts, track and predict land use, and create early warning systems to prepare for weather, water or food crises;
• the promotion of web-based applications and databases for sharing best practices, particularly concerning water and energy.

With the new CSTD mandate to follow-up WSIS implementation, we can monitor the incorporation of ICT into UN development strategies and use this information to guide our work on the substantive, people-oriented theme that we are taking up these next two years. Together we can continue to build an inclusive information society powered by science, technology and engineering.

S&T Cooperation in Practice

The United States has always been very active in promoting science and technology cooperation as a matter of foreign policy and international relations. For example, we maintain overarching science and technology agreements with over 40 countries, many of which are represented here. They include China , with which we have had very fruitful cooperation since 1979, to Jordan , which we just signed into force last month. We also have hundreds of other implementing memoranda and arrangements active with these and many other countries in a large range of science, technology, and engineering research and development fields. Let me cite a few examples:

• the U.S. National Institutes of Health and other government research facilities are developing training programs on grant proposal preparation in partner countries to increase their capacity to compete for funding to conduct medical and other research important to their societies;
• a U.S. public-private partnership has created a model "science and technology accelerator" project, in this case with Jordan, aimed at spurring innovation and employment through science and addressing economic structures and issues of poverty at the national level. We see this model as applicable in many parts of the world and hope to present it to CSTD as a means of widening its application;
• the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine are working to establish counterpart academies in African and Middle Eastern countries in order to generate independent, peer reviewed advice and to serve as a conduit for scientific dialogue.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, we are very pleased to join so many of our bilateral partners and other countries in this multilateral forum, and to learn more about the priorities you have for science, technology and development. The CSTD can serve as an excellent platform to identify opportunities for even stronger science and technology partnerships, and the United States is enthusiastic to begin the journey with you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.