Kaylois Henry, who is following the meeting at the Economic Commission for Africa, the ECA, prepared this report.
HENRY: When it comes to dealing with science and innovation, Africa is different, said keynote speaker Professor Lydia Brito, former Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology in Mozambique. Rather than following models from the West that clearly aren't working, Ms. Brita suggested Africa embrace its diversity.
BRITO: Clearly we need to go away from this knowledge economy to a knowledge society by really strengthening the social and cultural characteristics that make us different from others, because that's our advantage, that's our contribution to growth and for wellbeing at a global level.
HENRY: Yet, she continued, to do this, Africa needs real scientific leadership.
BRITO: What we really need is leadership that will bring vision, a vision we can unite around that, that will build the ownership over development actions, that will build the commitment towards science.
HENRY: New technology could be used as a coping mechanism to guard against the global financial crisis, said ECA Executive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh. Countries such as the US, China and India have recognized this, and have made huge contributions towards scientific development. Africa, he said, needs to do the same. Mr. Janneh was unable to attend the opening of the conference. His statement was read by Josue Dione Suedionne, head of food security and sustainable development at ECA.
DIONE: We in Africa must start relying on science, technology and management to achieve scientific development, pay more attention to resources savings and environmental protection and gradually narrow the development gap on the continent. From a long-term perspective, we should endeavor to build innovation societies by gradually shifting from the export of raw materials and products into that of capital and knowledge.
HENRY: Aida Opoku-Mensah, who heads ICT Science and Technology for ECA said the conference helps to remind Africans and others that the continent can and should use science and technology to address some of its more pressing issues.
OPOKU-MENSAH: Why don't we start by trying to see how science can be applied to some of the challenges of our day. We tend to be a net importer of technology, we tend to copy - most people would think - a lot of things that are done elsewhere and yet there are things that we could do that would address some of our challenges ourselves. As a result you find that we are not very good at handling our natural resources, we are not very good at handling our human resources, simply because we don't have the tools, the 2 key tools to do that and that for me is science and technology.
HENRY: She added that she hoped the conference would not only provide guidance to ministers, scientists and ECA officials but would also provide a platform for learning about the latest scientific trends.
It also means that we are able to invite leading experts who do not necessarily have to be from Africa so long as they have new ideas to share and impart to the member states and to the experts. So it's kind of like of a platform to exchange views and ideas and share knowledge and information.
HENRY: For UN Radio, I'm Kaylois Henry.
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