Rio+20 must launch SDGs to guide countries through complex development challenges, argues Colombian ministry official Paula Caballero Gómez.

We need to revive the rights-based agenda and realign research priorities for women's health, says Priya Shetty.

Conflicts over shared water resources could be mitigated through science-based environmental cooperation, argue Saleem Ali and Pamela Griffin.

A binding international convention would facilitate a move towards more equitable access to R&D in health, according to Suerie Moon and colleagues.

Building a knowledge society in the Islamic World requires structural change — not fads and symbolism, argues Athar Osama.

Handing out free laptops to schoolchildren is not enough to improve education in Pakistan, says Pervez Hoodbhoy.

Plastic bags are too practical to be banned, but policies to manage their use are necessary to protect the environment, says Lilia Casanova.

Farming projects must be able to access research at any point along the innovation trajectory, say Rasheed Sulaiman V. and colleagues.

Pakistan urgently needs to refine its crop yield forecasting and estimation system to improve food production, says Ibrar ul Hassan Akhtar.

Next month's meeting in Brazil needs send the right signals to encourage progress on sustainability, says ODI's Claire Melamed.

Buruli ulcer could spread as agriculture intensifies in Africa, making prevention research vital, says agro-eco-health expert Rousseau Djouaka.

An editorial in the journal Nature explains the reasons for publishing the full results of a controversial paper about a modified bird flu virus

Technological innovation can't be imposed on poor people — they must be engaged to select ideas that suit their lives, writes Lawrence Gudza.

Current models of innovation ignore small-scale technology — institutions must ensure it's a key part of the agenda, says Tony Marjoram.

New models of intellectual property rights are needed to protect — and promote — local knowledge and innovations, says Anil Gupta.

Stunning fundraising success at Stellenbosch University is a model for others in Africa, but leadership is crucial, says Linda Nordling.

A culture of favouring science over technology comes at the expense of both technologists and research outputs, writes engineer Huafeng Wang.

Countries in the region need an organised, concerted effort to strengthen scientific input into decision-making, urges Crispin Maslog.

Poverty, governance and population growth — not physical availability of water — are the real challenges for the continent, says Roger Calow.

Emerging resistance to artemisinin means efforts to track genetic markers and regulate the drug's use must step up, says Priya Shetty.