At the African Union Summit, Director-General Matsuura said that UNESCO would be at Africa’s side in translating Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action into concrete results. He said UNESCO could help put in place governance systems to "enable African countries to harness and share their resources to lead scientific research". Most African nations will need to make major new investments if the target of devoting one percent of GDP to R&D is to be met.
Matsuura expressed strong support for the establishment of an African Fund to provide multi-year funding for implementation of the Plan. More detailed information about UNESCO’s contribution to the Plan could be found in the brochure Science in Africa.
Among UNESCO’s strategies for developing human and institutional capacity in Africa, Matsuura cited UNESCO’s work with UNEP and the NEPAD secretariat to develop a network of centers of excellence in water science in Africa and UNESCO’s Avicenna Virtual Campus.
Read the Address (half in English, half in French).
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