ISLAMABAD: Minster for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Monday urged Comsats member states to work collaboratively to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and help address the associated socioeconomic challenges.

He was speaking at the fourth ministerial-level consultative committee meeting of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (Comsats) with participation of 30 delegates from 19 countries.

According to a press release, three ministers, a vice minister and other government officials belonging to Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen,Turkey, Bangladesh, Somalia, Zimbabwe, China, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Uganda attended the meeting.

The participants deliberated on a nine-point agenda during the meeting virtually hosted from Comsats Secretariat in Islamabad.

“Working in close proximity of the secretariat, my ministry is a witness to the hard work and devotion with which the organisation is striving towards its mission at the highest and the grassroots levels alike,” said Mr Chaudhry.

Secretary to the Committee and Executive Director Comsats Dr S.M. Junaid Zaidi said scientific collaboration is an important area for South-South and triangular cooperation. He encouraged the member states to use Comsats’ forum to incubate partnerships and new approaches to support and speed up the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The meeting also had the participation from international organisations including the South Centre, Switzerland, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Italy; United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Thailand; The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Italy; and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), Pakistan.

Comsats Centres of Excellence in China, Colombia, Egypt, Gambia, Iran, Indonesia, Jordan, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Turkey provided the perspective of the Comsats’ Network of International S&T centres of excellence that has been engaged in scientific cooperation through regular annual meetings.

“The meeting resulted in revitalised commitment from the focal ministries of member states. The delegates called for and agreed on having stronger ties among scientists and researchers for solving common development problems, effective cooperation and initiatives at highest levels for emergent situations such as the pandemic, scientific and academic exchanges as well as developing strategies for addressing issues such as food security and climate change. It was proposed that there should be a joint crisis management fund.

The participating countries were appreciative of Comsats’ role in providing a strong S&T cooperation platform to developing countries and pledged their best in further strengthening it.

The areas identified for cooperation and mutual support included multilateral research, refugee management, science diplomacy training, data science, climate sciences, energy, post-pandemic preparedness, agriculture, biotechnology, food security and nutrition, capacity building, knowledge economy and SDGs.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2020