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Programmes
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Integrating Biotechnology into National Planning and Development in Freetown, Sierra Leone
highlights
Workshop Goal
The overall goal of the sensitization workshop was to create a foundation for sustainable development through harnessing relevant science and technology (S&T) issues
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) organized a one-week training and sensitization workshop in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from 7 to 11 March, 2005 in collaboration with the ATPS-Sierra Leone Chapter, the Technical Center for Agriculture and Rural development (CTA), Netherlands, the Science and Technology Council of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Sierra Leone, and the World Bank, to discuss strategies of integrating science, technology and innovation (ST&I) into the planning, development and reconstruction of post-war Sierra Leone.
The overall goal of the sensitization workshop was to create a foundation for sustainable development through harnessing relevant science and technology (S&T) issues in promoting S&T-led development in the transition from war to peace in Sierra Leone. The specific objectives were:
- To critically examine the status of the sectoral ministries in the transition process
- To evolve an analytical framework for each ministry drawing from successful examples elsewhere
- To explore the role of emerging technologies, specifically biotechnology, in poverty alleviation, food security and national development
- To map out a way forward for managing the delicate transition process
The following methods were employed to achieve the objectives:
- Key presentations by resource persons detailing the analytical framework for facilitating the proposed transition by each ministry/agency in harnessing the potential role of S&T (with emphasis on emerging technologies, such as biotechnology) in the development plans, sectoral policies as well as the poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs).
- Presentations by the sectoral ministries dwelt on the ministries' vision for managing the transition process, the current status of the implementation of the transition plan, the content of S&T, what had been achieved, what challenges and obstacles were experienced and how these could be resolved.
- Open discussions based on the presentations by the ministries and the resource persons, followed by general discussions to capture the comments and suggestions of the participants
- Panel discussion on the role of biotechnology
The targeted audience for this sensitization workshop included:
- Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (which co-hosted the workshop through the Science and Technology Council)
- Ministry of Development and Economic Planning
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security
- Ministry of Trade and Industry
- Ministry of Energy and Power (Water management and Environment)
- The Poverty Alleviation Commission of Sierra Leone
- The Farmers' Union of Sierra Leone
- The Media
- The Private Sector
- Academia and Research Institutes
There were two special sessions devoted to the potential role of biotechnology in the overall development of the nation as well as the strategies to harness the promise of biotechnology.
A keynote presentation targeted the biotechnology debate and its influence on the different positions of African countries, the key pillars of a good biotechnology policy, safety and consumer concerns and the guiding framework for biosafety as advocated by the UNEP-GEF project on National Biosafety Frameworks (NBFs). Besides the papers/lectures presented on biotechnology and its role in development, there was a panel discussion organized on The Biotechnology Revolution: Prospects and Challenges for Sierra Leone. This panel discussion comprised of various stakeholders including representatives of the Farmers Union of Sierra Leone, government ministries, consumer organizations, media, scientists, researchers and environmental groups.
The key outputs from this workshop included:
- Formation of a working group/task force to steer the development of a biotechnology policy for Sierra Leone
- Formation of a Science Journalists Association to effectively inform the debate on the potential role of biotechnology and other emerging technologies in the development of Sierra Leone
- A draft prioritized list of issues to be included in the biotechnology policy of Sierra Leone
- The sectoral ministries received recommendations, suggestions and input on how to better align their programmes to manage the transition process in Sierra Leone
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