The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) will hold its Fourth Commission Meeting this year on April 14-15 at Accra. The Meeting will be chaired by the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo- Addo, who is the Chairperson of COMSATS ,an inter-governmental organization based in Islamabad of 27 member states from the developing world. Heads of the State/ Government representing COMSATS member countries are expected to attend this important event.
Concurrently with the holding of the Commission Meeting of COMSATS, President of Ghana has decided to host the “Accra Forum on Science & Technology for Sustainable Development”. The Forum will deliberate on developmental challenges faced by member countries of COMSATS and actions needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
President Akufo-Addo is an eminent global personality. On the international stage he is Co-Chair (along with Prime Minister of Norway) of the UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocates and member (along with 13 other Heads of State/Government) of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. President Akufo-Addo is a leading statesman in Africa today. He has been designated by the African Union as a Leader on Gender and Development Issues in Africa. .
The idea of the Forum emerged as a result of discussions of a COMSATS delegation from Pakistan with officials of United Nations Office for South -South Cooperation (UNOSSC) to create a platform for promoting the role of science & technology in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This led to holding of an event in November 2018 during the Global South-South Development EXPO at UN Headquarters in New York in which there was consensus that COMSATS should have a leadership role in establishing a networking mechanism to promote South-South Cooperation in science and technology.
The Forum will identify challenges and mechanisms to strengthen scientific and technological capacity pertaining to implementation of SDGs. It will be an instrument for facilitating interaction, establishment of networks and multi stakeholder partnerships in order to promote S&T cooperation, capacity development and to examine technology needs and gaps. It will give an opportunity to COMSATS member countries to improve their capacity in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Accra Forum will work under the patronage of the President of Ghana as Chairperson of COMSATS and develop partnerships with international institutions engaged in promoting role of science in implementation of the SDGs and building global collaboration for sustainability. This will enhance status of Pakistan based COMSATS which took the lead in this initiative as a major science and technology institution of the Global South in realization of the 2030 Development Agenda.