Dubai to host G-77 science meet

Dubai will host the first ever high-level Conference on Science and Technology of the Group of 77 from October 27 to 30.

The conference is aimed at formulating global strategies and clear policies within the South for the promotion of science and technology.

Hussein Nasser Lootah, Assistant Director of Dubai Municipality for Environment and Public Health Affairs, who also chairs the organising committee of the conference, recently met Murad Ahmia, Executive Secretary at the Office of Chairman of the Group 77, to discuss preparations for the conference.

Lootah noted that the convening of this conference was decided at the South Summit in Havana (April 10-14, 2000) and it is being sponsored by the Group of 77 in New York in close coordination with the Chapter of the Group of 77 in Paris, chaired by the UAE, and in collaboration with Dubai Municipality.

He said the four-day conference in Dubai would bring together policy-makers from member countries of the G-77 as well as representatives from relevant scientific organisations, research institutions, universities, foundations, the business sector and other stakeholder groups dealing with science and technology.

To facilitate this aim, a high-level interactive dialogue among ministers of science and technology, senior officials, scientists and researchers from the South will take place on October 27.

Three workshops on information communication technology, safe drinking water, and biotechnology will be held during the conference.

Other parallel events, including an exhibition, are scheduled to be organised by Dubai Municipality.

Lootah said that during his meeting with the G-77 official, they discussed the ongoing preparations for the conference.

"Dubai Municipality is looking forward to hosting this major international conference and is currently preparing to receive the high-level delegations from the developing nations."

He added that the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel had been chosen as the venue for the conference as well as its accompanying activities such as seminars, workshops and exhibition. Most of the official delegations will also stay in this hotel.

Emirates will be the official carrier for the conference, as delegates will enjoy special discounts in airfares from all destinations, and stop overs.

Earlier, announcing the venue and details of the conference, Ambassador Milos Alcalay, Chairman of G-77 in New York, and Ambassador Hussein Ghubash, Chairman of G-77 Paris Chapter at Unesco, said in a joint message: "Rapid advances in science and technology, particularly in such areas as microelectronics, biotechnology and information technologies, have played a critical role in economic and social development.

"Developing countries, however, lag far behind in knowledge generation. The disparity between the developed and developing world in their capacity to produce scientific and technical knowledge and to utilise this knowledge in support of social and economic development has emerged as a major challenge facing the international community."

The Group of 77 was founded on June 15, 1964, by 77 developing countries at the first session of the United Nations conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Group has since grown to 133 nations, representing almost the entire developing world, including China.

The group has five chapters located at Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Washington D.C.