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Just recently, during the 32nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO, a Round Table of Ministers was held on this very subject. There was wide recognition that modern science and technology and their applications are powerful and pervasive in their impact, but there was also an acknowledgement that the claims of human creativity, cultural diversity and political choice point us towards plurality, not uniformity. The idea of a single, all-embracing information society towards which all nations are moving without deviation was found by the participants in the Ministerial Round Table to be neither an accurate description nor a desirable prescription. UNESCO’s current overall strategic priority is aimed at contributing to the humanization of the globalization process. I know that this lofty terminology can sometimes seem far removed from the lived realities of people in their homes and communities, but it does represent an important orientation. The debate over knowledge societies needs to be attuned to this overall concern, which insists that the building of inclusive, participatory and just societies must be done through processes that respect human dignity, plurality and solidarity as well as human rights and fundamental freedoms. Let me stress that the building of knowledge societies must be inclusive. This means that all persons, without distinction, so that everyone is empowered to create, receive, share and utilize information and knowledge freely for his or her benefit – whether this be for reasons of economic betterment, social recreation, cultural expression and enjoyment, or civic participation. Within this concept, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are to be seen as tools dedicated to human development, not as an end in themselves. The growth of knowledge societies depends on the production of new knowledge, its transmission through education and training and its dissemination through ICTs. Scientific research and discovery, and associated technological applications, are the driving forces behind the creation of knowledge societies but we must remember that science is itself a social construct. How science impacts on society is shaped by society – for example, through national policies on science and technology and through the social and institutional mechanisms for organizing research and understanding its implications. Ladies and Gentlemen, Roger Cashmore of CERN has said that “Without science, there would be no information society”. How true. But the role that science plays in the making of knowledge societies does appear to be one of the best-kept secrets of our time. How many people even know that Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web? Or that CERN’s decision to make the Web foundations and protocols available on a royalty-free basis was crucial to the Web’s very existence? As Berners-Lee put it, “Without this commitment, the enormous individual and corporate investment in Web technology simply would never have happened and we wouldn’t have the Web today”. While science has made knowledge societies possible, science itself is being changed in the process. As scientific knowledge advances, this has an effect on the very way in which science is conducted. For example, synergy among the disciplines of science has been accelerated by ICTs. This is evident in the dramatic increase in cross-disciplinary invention, research and collaboration at a distance as well as the more rapid dissemination of information. The knowledge base of this growth is cumulative and increasingly interdisciplinary. We are still far from restoring the unity of the sciences but the fact that new technologies are facilitating greater dialogue between disciplines is to be welcomed. This inter-disciplinary communication, let me add, should not be construed narrowly. Scientific disciplines should increase their contact not only with one another but also with other modes and traditions of inquiry, especially in terms of the ethical, social and environmental implications of scientific and technological developments. The ethical dimension, by the way, corresponds to the principal priority of UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences sector and is central to the work of COMEST, the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology. Scientific advance and technical innovation are closely associated with the emergence of new capabilities. This is not new. From the very beginning of the age of scientific discoveries, people have devised tools for improving health, raising productivity and facilitating learning and communication. What is new are the pace of change, the range of its impact and the unprecedented character of some of the challenges and opportunities being generated. Today’s science is marked by digital, genetic and molecular breakthroughs that are pushing far beyond yesterday’s frontiers of knowledge. These breakthroughs are creating new possibilities for improving health and nutrition, expanding knowledge, eradicating poverty and stimulating economic growth. However, we are at a critical juncture. At a time when the current phase of the scientific-technological revolution shows no signs of slowing down, can we continue to ignore the fact that one-in-five of the world’s people live on less than one dollar per day and one-in-seven suffer from chronic hunger? The international community responded to the pressing need to address this state of affairs at the 2000 United Nations Millennium Summit by agreeing on a set of key development goals with time-bound targets - for reducing poverty, raising levels of education, improving standards of health, enhancing empowerment and reversing the loss of environmental resources. Harnessing science and the power of ICTs can, both directly and indirectly, contribute substantially to realizing every one of the Millenium Development Goals. It can create new economic opportunities that lift individuals, communities and nations out of poverty. Furthermore, it can ensure greater availability of health and reproductive information, facilitate the training of medical personnel and teachers, and help to empower women with the same rights and opportunities as men. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The task before us is to transform these possibilities into realities, on the clear understanding that the unequal distribution and utilization of knowledge are a barrier to peaceful, sustainable development. In the words of the 1998 World Development Report, “Knowledge is like light. Weightless and intangible, it can easily travel the world, enlightening the lives of people everywhere. Yet billions of people still live in the darkness of poverty - unnecessarily.” Not only do poor countries and poor people have less capital and income at their disposal than their rich neighbours, but their access to knowledge is also more limited. Knowledge for development is crucial for the future prospects of developing countries so that they may apply the growing stock of global ‘electronic knowledge’ to their own advantage and solve their own problems in their own way. Let me conclude by thanking you for your attention. I can assure you that UNESCO will pay great attention to the outcomes of this Conference. I wish you a successful meeting. Thank you.
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