In
This Issue:
BALI
CONFERENCE REVIEWS AGENDA 21
Over 2000 delegates from 140 countries have converged at Bali, Indonesia to
attend the final preparatory meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD) to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 to September
4, 2002. The WSSD will bring together governments, UN agencies, multilateral
financial institutions, concerned citizen groups, media, and scientists to
assess global change since the Rio Earth Summit.
The two-week meeting involves negotiating the Implementation Program document
that further elaborates Agenda 21 based on the Rio Principles agreed in the
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. The action plan, known as the
Chairman's Text, will form the basis for implementing sustainable development
principles.
The Chairman's Text, which is presently being negotiated in Bali, contains
a provision calling for the promotion of an effective and transparent framework
for access to the results and benefits arising from biotechnologies based on
genetic resources. It also urges countries to become parties of the biodiversity
related international agreements and provide the necessary financing, technology
transfer and capacity building support to developing countries to facilitate
their effective implementation.
The conference proceedings are available at http://www.johannesburgsummit.org
NEW
CONTRACT BETWEEN S & T NEEDED
Basic changes are essential for redirecting the present science and technology
system towards the sustainable development challenge. According to the International
Council for Science and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations,
the S & T community is committed to implement necessary changes and develop
appropriate partnerships. These changes include:
-
More
policy-relevant science to integrate problem-oriented and interdisciplinary
research
-
Broad-based,
participatory approaches with other interest groups
-
Promotion
of gender equality in science
The
basic changes will require a new contract between science and technology
and society for sustainable development. Such a contract requires
the following crucial components:
-
Improving
education and capacity building
-
Bridging
the North-South divide in S & T capacity
-
Clean
technologies and sustainable production and consumption patterns
-
Governance
for sustainable development
-
Long-term
perspectives and data needs
-
Augmenting
financial resources for S & T for sustainable development
The
document embodying these recommendations were prepared in consultation
with the Inter Academy Panel, the Third World Academy of Sciences
and the International Social Sciences Council for the Dialogue Segment
on Scientific and Technological Communities, a component session
at the Preparatory Committee Meeting for the World Summit being held
in Bali, Indonesia.
AUSTRALIA
FUNDS PLANT GENOMICS RESEARCH
The Australian government is establishing the Centre for Plant Functional Genomics
at the University of Adelaide to enable the mapping of genes that control environmental
stresses, such as drought, in wheat, barley and other grain crops.
Brendan Nelson, Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, announced
that the Centre will be funded by two governmental research support agencies,
the Australian Research Council, and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
The two organizations have committed $20 million over a five-year period to
the Centre. In addition, the state government of South Australia has pledged
to add another $12 million and $3.6 million which will come from participating
universities.
"The Centre will apply genomics research to critical problems and opportunities
relevant to the Australian grains industry," Nelson said. She added that the
Centre would be able to attract world-class researchers through advanced infrastructure
and research leadership.
Other participating groups will include the University of Melbourne, the University
of Queensland and the Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
More details about this development is available at http://www.arc.gov.au or http://www.dest.gov.au/ministers/nelson/may02/jmr_0100502.htm
PONTIFICAL
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE SEES POTENTIAL OF GM PLANTS
The Pontifical Academy of Science stated that "genetically modified food plants
can play an important role in improving nutrition and agricultural products,
especially in the developing world" in its "Study-Document on the Use of 'Genetically
Modified Food Plants' to Combat Hunger in the World". Furthermore, the Academy
set forth "conditions for the beneficial use of this new technology". These
are:
-
The
scientific community should be responsible for the scientific
and technological research and also "monitor the way it is applied
and help ensure that it works to the effective benefit of the
people".
-
"There
is nothing intrinsic about genetic modification that would cause
food products to be unsafe". Nevertheless, science and scientists
should be employed to test new strains of plants to determine
their safety for the people and environment.
-
The
methods and results for testing new GM plants should be made
publicly available.
-
"Governments
should have the responsibility for ensuring that the tests and
their results are conducted in line with the highest criteria
of validity."
-
"Governments
should increase their funding for public research in agriculture".
-
"Intellectual
property rights should not inhibit a wide access to beneficial
applications of scientific knowledge".
-
"Special
efforts should be made to provide poor farmers in the developing
world access to improved crop plants and to encourage and finance
research in developing countries."
-
"Research
to develop such improvements should pay particular attention
to local needs and to the capacity of each country".
The
Academy recommends that that the scientific community, as represented
by its established worldwide organizations, offer its expertise to
meet the conditions stated.
The document is part of the proceedings of two meetings of the Pontifical Academy
of Science. The entire write-up of the proceedings entitled "Science and the
Future of Mankind. Science for Man and Man for Science" (ISBN 88-7761-075-1)
can be downloaded at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/
pontifical_academies/acdscien/documents/sv%2099(1of5).pdf
AGREEMENT
TO SHARE RICE GENOME DATA
A sequence of the rice genome data is expected to be finished sooner and at
lower costs due to an agreement between the National Institute of Agrobiological
Sciences (NIAS) of Japan and Syngenta, a leading agribusiness company. NIAS
and Syngenta announced last May 24, 2002 to share the Syngenta rice genome
draft sequence data with the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP).
The Syngenta draft rice genome sequence, developed by the Torrey Mesa Research
Institute (TMRI), is estimated to cover more than 99 percent of the genome
and is 99.8 percent accurate. A description was published in the April 5, 2002
edition of Science.
"Even with our progress, finishing the rice genome sequence requires significant
effort. A global, public-private cooperative initiative will ensure swift accomplishment
of this objective. Today's agreement is an important step toward this broad global
partnership", said Dr. Briggs, Head of Genomics for Syngenta and President of
TMRI.
Dr. Takuji Sasaki, Director of NIAS said that rice is the most important cereal
crop for half the world's population. A complete sequence will help researchers
pinpoint the crucial genes and hasten the transfer of beneficial traits to
local varieties of rice.
The IRGSP was started in 1991 and was re-organized into a national project
in 1998. It is jointly coordinated by the NIAS and the Society for Techno-innovation
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (STAFF), a semi-private research organization.
The IRGSP currently has eight active international members: Japan, Korea, China,
Taiwan, India, France, the US, and Brazil.
More information can be seen at http://www.checkbiotech.org,
an internet platform sponsored by Syngenta with the aim of providing a "trustworthy
and up-to-date information on agricultural biotechnology and thereby to contribute
to an open debate".
"WORLD'S
LARGEST BIOTECHNOLOGY GATHERING" TO BE HELD
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) will host BIO 2002, the 16th
Annual International Biotechnology Convention and Exhibition. It is being billed
as the world's largest biotechnology gathering and will be held from June 9-12
at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The event is expected to draw more than 14,000 industry leaders with the conference
featuring six plenary events, more than 150 sessions and symposia, with 800
speakers covering 18 program tracks. Credible speakers will cover the role
of the biotech community, medical research, economic concerns, religious perspectives,
crisis management, environmental issues, food safety, and labeling regulations
among others.
BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions,
state biotechnology centers and related organizations in 50 US states and 33
other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of
health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.
For more details go to http://www.bio.org/newsroom/newsitem.asp?id=2002_0522_01. |
