Science and technology for development

Decides to recommend the following actions for consideration by national Governments, the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and the international community: 1. Governments are encouraged to undertake the following actions: (a) utilize the benchmarking tools developed by the Commission to assess their progress in infromation and communication technologies (ICT) development; (b) accelerate investment in ICT human capacity-building and promote computer literacy and lifelong learning; (c) build up physical and institutional infrastructure; (d) develop policy initiatives in order to facilitate the building of regional level ICT infrastructure; (e) develop strategies to facilitate access to and lower costs of ICT hardware and software; (f) apply innovative approaches with a focus on shared infrastructure; (g) establish a regulatory framework that supports infrastructure; (h) promote sustained measures to ensure the mastery and adaptation of technology; (i) develop strategies for local content development, including the use of icon-based programmes; 2. the international community is invited to: (a) promote the compilation of more appropriate data on technology indicators; (b) reaffirm the right of developing countries to use to the full the flexibilities provided in international agreements such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights; requests the Commission to take into account the need to meaningfully and systematically integrate a gender component into all its programmes and to improve its collaboration with its Gender Advisory Board.

Adopted without vote, 48th plenary meeting

In: Resolutions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council, organizational session for 2003, New York, 15, 28, 30 and 31 Jan. 2003; resumed organizational session for 2003, New York, 5 and 25 March, 29 April, 1 and 27 May and 24 June 2002; substantive session of 2003, Geneva, 30 June-25 July 2003; resumed substantive session of 2003, New York, 22 Aug., 31 Oct. and 19 Dec. 2003 - E/2003/99 - p. 84-86 - (ESCOR, 2003, Suppl. no. 1).