Commonwealth Science Council to Start New Flagship Programme
20 May 1997
The Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) concluded its 19th biennial meeting at the New State House in Lilongwe on Friday, 16 May 1997. The meeting, which was opened by the Vice President of Malawi, the Rt Hon Justin Malewezi, was attended by delegates and council members from 23 Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth Secretariat delegation was led by the Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.
At the meeting, which was organised by Mrs Esther Mede, the outgoing Chairperson of the CSC, the Council members added capability building to their three other flagship programmes.
Council members attending the meeting agreed that the other flagship programmes; biodiversity and genetic resources, water and mineral resources and energy should be continued. In addition to the delegates from the Commonwealth countries two observers, from UNESCO and the University of Malawi attended the three day meeting.
Under the flagship programme on water the CSC has been carrying out a project to reduce the prevalence of water hyacinth weed, which is serious environmental menace threatening fisheries, hydro-electric systems, water transportation and the sustainable availability of water. The CSC recognised that in Africa only an integrated sub-regional programme would provide a realistic solution to this problem. A demonstration programme on biological control of water hyacinth weed in Zambia is being carried out by the CSC. A similar CSC programme is due to restart in Uganda.
The amount of money available under a Fellowship and Travel Grant scheme run by the CSC was increased to £100,000. The scheme provides financial support to scientists to advance professional skills and participate in international conferences.
South Africa, which participated as an observer at the 1995 meeting in Bangalore, India, was admitted as a full member of the CSC as a more scientifically advanced country. Other CSC member countries which are in this category are Australia, Britain, Canada, India and New Zealand.
The Council also adopted a new three- year work programme whose objectives include the application of science and technology toward poverty alleviation, effective networking of science and technology institutions and increased participation on an equitable basis of women in science and technology. Other aims of the new work programme include the further development of science and technology culture in member countries and addressing science and technology issues of special interest to small states.
The CSC is a voluntary intergovernmental organisation established 20 years ago to develop programmes of scientific co-operation among its member countries both in the developing and developed countries.
This is the sixth time the CSC has met in Africa. Ghana (1966), Zambia (1974), Kenya (1980), and Nigeria (1988), Botswana (1992) have hosted CSC meetings. Following this meeting the CSC will meet triennially. The CSC has accepted an offer from Trinidad and Tobago to host the next meeting which is scheduled to take place in 2000. As a consequence the new Chairperson for the next triennium will be Ms Maureen Manchouck, Trinidad and Tobago's current CSC representative.
97/21 20 May 1997
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- Commonwealth ICT SummitBetty Mould Iddrisu, Director, Legal and Constitutional Affairs
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