Science and Technology within Parliament

1. Science and Technology within Parliament UNESCO’s Interparliamentary Forums initiative Diana Malpede UNESCO Launching of the “African Inter-Parliamentary Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (APF_STI)” Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2 May 2011

2. Outline • The new dimension of science policy • Increasing complexity of S&T governance • Changing nature of Science and Technology Governance • Science and Technology governance within Parliaments • Parliamentary structures and modalities for S&T • Inter-parliamentary Fora on S&T: UNESCO’s initiative

3. The context • Globalization • Growing complexity of science, more complex policy environment • Interrelated, systemic, complex long-term challenges • Rising critical environmental issues such as: global climate change, loss of biological diversity, weakened ecosystem services, natural disasters, energy, water stress • Near-collapse of global financial markets

4. New challenges for Science Policy • Mobilizing science for policy and policy for science in order to: • Build sustainable inclusive societies • Contribute and participate to the global science • Address national, regional and global challenges • Respond to new environmental, ethical and societal demands • Understanding and managing complexity and uncertainties by integrating future, systemic, non-linear thinking in decision making • Ensuring both an adequate environment, which includes culture of science, free flow and exchange of scientific information, and infrastructure for the STI development • Increasing coordination of innovative and sectoral policies in order to ensure coherence and consistence at national level within the overall development vision and strategy • Articulation of science policy at national and global level • Finding an appropriate balance between public and private funding of R&D efforts • Coping with human resources shortage in science and strengthening the participation of women in science • Ensuring links between science and traditional knowledge systems • Involving a large number of partners by creating a multi-stakeholders participatory process to science decision making

5. Science: a multiple enterprise…. Funding agencies Government Media Scientific community Institutions Society Professional societies Commercial firms Industry

6. ….but also a global enterprise Over 7 million researcher around the world, drawing on a combined international international R&D spend of over US$ 1000 billion (a 45% increase since 2002) and reading and publishing in aournd 25.000 separate scientific journal per year

7. … and a co-laboratory enterprise In March 2010, Physics Letter B published the most multi-authored research paper to date, when 3.222 researchers from 32 different countries contributed to a study of “charged-particle multiplicities” measured with the ATLAS detector of the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva

8. Key Words:Partnership and Dialogue • Interface between science and policy • Communication between scientists and decision makers • Science, policy and society interface • Public nature of scientific debate • Demand by the public for greater participation in S&T decision-making process (at national and global level) • New forms of STI governance • Participatory approach to policy making • Stakeholders’ dialogue

9. Major Implications for Parliaments Parliamentary institutions have increasing difficulties in addressing and dealing with: the growing complexity the highly scientific and technical character of issues the rapidity of change of Science and Technology advances and developments (e.g. GMOs, genetic testing and therapy, new information technologies)

10. The Role of Parliaments on STI There are many dimensions which include, inter alia, : The scrutiny and passage of science legislation at national level The debate of science policies The voting of budgetary allocations to science and technology The oversight of expenditures allocated to science The mobilization of resources for innovation Mediation in controversial scientific issues of current concern to the people

11. S&T Parliamentary mechanisms and structures Formal structures: e.g. committees Formal procedures: e.g. debates Informal structures: e.g. various unofficial grouping

12. S&T Parliamentary support activities Various forms of support services Central research and information service, frequently within, or closely associated with, the parliamentary library Dedicated parliamentary science and technology assessment services.

13. Parliamentary Technology Assessment Services Different structures for such services currently exist: a specific office within the parliament, where the staff primarily prepare the research studies. (e.g. Flemish regional parliament, France, UK., USA) aspecific office within the parliament, that acts as a research managerfor studies done by outside contractors (e.g. STOA at the European Parliament) a specific parliamentary committee ( e.g. Finland, Italy) a specific office external to the parliament, located within an existing larger research organization (e.g. German Bundestag) a self-standing office, external to the parliament which receives a major component of its funding to perform technology assessment activities for the parliament (e.g. Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands) a self-standing office, external to the parliament, which receives occasional contracts from the parliament to conduct technology assessments (e.g. Austria)

14. UNESCO’s Action

15. World Conference on ScienceBudapest, Hungary, 1999 A turning point towards the social responsibility of scientists and the politics of science. Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge andScience Agenda- Framework for Action: Parliaments and Governments should be invited to provide a legal, institutional and economic basis for enhancing scientific and technological capacities in the public and private sectors The emergence of organized sectors of society demanding participation in democratic debates and decision-making Democratic decision-making on scientific matters requires participation of all groups of society. the public, the media, scientists, educators, industrialists, politicians and decision-makers

16. Helsinki 2003 It is in this context that UNESCO, in cooperation with ISESCO and the Committee for the Future of the Finnish Parliament, organized an International Roundtable on “Science Technology and Innovation Policy: the Parliamentary Perspective” Delegates from 31 countries from across the world participated and focused on how parliaments could develop the structures, methods and concepts through which they deal with science, technology and innovation policy.

17. Helsinki Declaration Parliaments should further develop their own structures through which they deal with science, technology and innovation policy The role of the media has been acknowledged as an essential element in communicating science to policy-makers, Parliamentarians and the public at large The need for closer co-operation between journalists and scientists has been recognised Policymakers should continue to set ambitious aims for research and development, with special emphasis on funding

18. Helsinki Recommendations The setting-up of an INTERNATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY FORUMof parliamentary science committees, the scientific community and representatives of civil society Call on UNESCO and regional partners to organise regional workshops in national parliaments Call on the Organizers, namely the Parliament of Finland, ISESCO and UNESCO, to establish such a Forum, in consultation with national, regional and international parliamentary actors

19. Science and Technology within Parliament:InterParliamentary Fora on STI

20. INTERNATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY FORUM on STI(during the World Science Forum in Budapest ) Objectives Providing the S&T Parliamentary Committees with platforms for dialogue with scientists, the media, public and private sectors and civil society Identifying good practices and building upon lessons learned from existing mechanisms for S&T decision making; Promoting the development of participatory mechanisms and practice for governance of Science and Technology among stakeholders; Exchanging experiences of, and information on, science, technology and innovation policy-making process; Strengthening the capacity of parliamentary science or related committees

21. World Science Forum –Budapest The World Science Forum, organized by the Hungarian Academy of Science in partnership with UNESCO, ICSU is a series of world conferences on science, knowledge and society which have taken place biannually in Budapest since 2003 as a follow-up to the World Conference on Science in Budapest in 1999.

22. Inter-parliamentary Fora on S&T UNESCO’s initiative Arab Forum, Cairo, Egypt, December 2004 Latin American Forum, Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 2005 South-Asian Policy Forum, India, March 2005 World Science Forum, Budapest, Hungary, November 2003, 2005,2007,2009 Central and South West Asia Forum on Science and Technology Policy for Sustainable Development, Tehran, Iran, January 2006 Nigerian Science Policy Forum, Abuja, Nigeria, June 2006 South East Europe Parliamentary Forum on STI, Bucharest, Roumania, 2007 Sub-regional science policy forum, Brazzaville (Congo) March2008 Eastern AfricaParliamentary Forum, Mombasa, Kenya, March 2009 Parliamentary Forum Syria, September 2010 Interparliamentary Forum on STI for the Mediterranean Region, Paris, November 2010 South and South East Asian Policy Forum

23. Final words as conclusions More than ever there is a need for: Empowering Parliaments to better fulfill their democratic functions in dealing with S&T issues Enhancing Parliamentarians ‘and staff members’ understanding of Science and Technology issues Strengthening Inter-Parliamentary cooperation and regional Networking …. in other words….

24. More than ever we need to build bridges, dialogue to strengthen our capacities

25. Thank you