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International bodies

Displaying 1-20 of 20 links

Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS)

The Commission is an intergovernmental and international organisation aimed at the uplift of developing countries through applications of science and technology. Established in 1994 at the instigation of Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, it has 21 member countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It runs meetings and workshops as well as a network of centres of excellence in selected areas of science and technology.

Consortium on Science, Technology and Innovation for the South (COSTIS) (formerly Third World Network of Scientific Organisations (TWNSO))

An international NGO, TWNSO was founded at the initiative of the Third World Academy of Sciences by ministers of science and technology and higher education and heads of science academies and research councils in developing countries to promote science-based sustainable economic development.

Economic Commission for Africa

The ECA helps African governments develop policies for economic and social development, including enhancing the role of science and technology. It carries out policy research, disseminates information, promotes co-operation and offers policy advice to different stakeholders. It also runs a collaborative policy research network — the ECA Science and Technology Network — promoting the dissemination and exchange of information on science and technology management and policy issues in Africa.

European-Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Programme

Under its Framework Six funding programme, this new European Union initiative aims to translate medical research results into clinical trials in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The first move is to provide 200 million Euros for the development of new medicines and vaccines for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The website contains a general outline of this scheme and information about its projects.

Global Forum for Health Research

The Global Forum for Health Research provides evidence, tools and discussion forums for decision-makers in research funding and policy to improve the health of the poor. Although it covers issues for both infectious and non-communicable diseases, the agency recognises that mental health problems are severely neglected in developing countries. As well as links to various publications and reports, the website also hosts RealHealthNews, which aims to share news on research and interventions that can improve the health of those in developing countries.

ICSU – Science and Human Rights

The International Council for Science (ICSU) aims to protect the rights of scientists by working at the crossroads of the right to science and the protection of science as a right. ICSU's work, particularly through the Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the Conduct of Science, promotes human rights-based approaches to climate change research, and social and environmental well-being. The ICSU website contains a collection of key international charters and declarations relevant to human rights and science.

International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2ie)

The International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2ie) is a research and training institute specialising in water, energy and the environment. It provides educational facilities to develop research capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship on the African continent, focusing on water and environmental management; solar energy and biofuels; eco-material; and civil engineering. The 2ie website publishes information on available courses including how to apply and admission requirements, as well as upcoming conferences and workshops, jobs and internships, and access to online libraries.

International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research

The INCTR is dedicated to helping build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries in which such capacity is limited. The network, which has support from the US National Cancer Institute, aims to build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries with limited resources through long-term collaborative projects coupled to training and educational programmes. It also seeks to promote international collaboration on cancer control between developed and developing countries. The INCTR is located at the Institut Pasteur in Brussels but also has branches in the US, France, Brazil, Egypt and Nepal and offices in the UK, India and Tanzania. The website contains details of the network's activities in various countries.

Millenium Sciences Initiative

MSI strives to create and nurture world-class science and scientific talent in the developing world by fostering innovative research and applications of specific value to the host country or region; educating and training future generations of scientists and engineers; developing linkages with educational and research institutions, the private sector, and the global scientific community. MSI projects have been set up in Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Africa and Vietnam.

New Partnership for Africa’s Development

NEPAD is an economic development programme of the African Union. It aims to eradicate poverty, promote sustainable growth and development, integrate Africa in the world economy and accelerate the empowerment of women. Developing science and technology is a high priority and NEPAD provides policy guidance at continental, regional and national levels.

The NEPAD website, available in English or French, provides news and information on all of NEPAD's activities and hosts a discussion forum that anyone can contribute to.

OECD – Governance and Development: Human Rights and Development

This web portal publishes information and documents about emerging perspectives on human rights and development. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)  works to create links between human rights experts, policymakers, and development planners. It directs these efforts towards bringing rights-based development paradigms to contribute to poverty prevention, conflict eradication, and improved aid. The website provides a link to key human rights and development documents.

South–South Initiative for Tropical Diseases Research (SSI)

SSI was set up in 2001 to facilitate sharing of resources among research groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America in order to increase competitiveness and optimise scientific opportunities. It provides assistance for proposal development through annual workshops and helps organise annual training courses on leading-edge technology for tropical disease research application in disease endemic countries.

Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS)

TWOWS is an international forum aimed at uniting eminent women scientists from the South with the objective of strengthening their role in development and in scientific and technological leadership. An independent, non-profit, non-governmental body based at the offices of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World in Italy, its activities include providing fellowships and maintaining an inventory of women scientists in the South.

UN Economic Commission for Africa Science and Technology Network

ESTNET promotes the dissemination and exchange of information on science and technology management and policy in Africa. Its main objective is to raise awareness among policymakers and other stakeholders of the role science and technology plays in African social and economic development. To this end, it presents a catalogue of relevant institutions and funding agencies as well as event listings. It also provides summaries of projects, journals and documents that deal with science and technology in Africa. In addition, policymakers can use ESTNET's database of consultants to search for experts in science and technology for development.

UNDP’s Special Unit for South–South Cooperation (SU/SSC)

Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1978 and hosted by the UN Development Programme, the unit’s primary mandate is to promote, coordinate and support South–South cooperation and cooperation with the UN. It focuses on policy dialogue and development, public–private partnership and southern development exchange.

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)

This is the official website of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio+20, taking place in Brazil on 20–22 June 2012.

The conference will bring together world leaders, governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental organisations to formulate a plan to reduce poverty, create social equity and protect the environment. It is organised around two themes: the green economy, and an institutional framework for sustainable development.

The website publishes information about the conference including background information, overviews and briefing papers on key themes, and other relevant publications. It lists all events and meetings relevant to the conference, and provides information about news and links to external sources as well as ways to connect with involved parties.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

ECA assists African governments in developing policies for economic and social development, including enhancing the role of science and technology in African economies. It carries out policy research, disseminates information, promotes co-operation and provides policy advice to different stakeholders in countries of the region. The ECA also runs the ECA Science and Technology Network (ESTNET), a collaborative policy research network promoting the dissemination and exchange of information concerning science and technology management and policy issues in Africa.

WHO Global Infobase Online

The WHO Global InfoBase has, for the first time, assembled in one place, country-level risk factor data stratified by age and sex, with complete source and survey information. The current version of the InfoBase contains over 130,000 data points from more than 2,800 sources. Currently the InfoBase contains reports on 180 out of 192 WHO Member States. A unique feature is that each record can be linked back to all its survey information, including the primary source.

The database is updated daily and provides users with comparable country-level mortality, mean systolic blood pressure, mean body mass index, and overweight/obesity data. A search function allows users to customise their data search based on specific criteria, and shows data in text tables and graphs.

World Diabetes Foundation

The foundation's aim is to raise awareness of diabetes worldwide, with a special emphasis on developing countries. A key activity is funding projects (142 so far) that raise awareness, improve education and build capacity at local, regional and global levels. The website contains details of all ongoing projects, including details of the project budgets and individuals responsible for running them, the expected impacts and results so far. Importantly, the foundation prioritises monitoring and evaluation of its projects to learn key lessons for the future and minimise the risk of project failure.

As with any disease, and particularly those in developing countries, the health economics are important. The website has a useful tool for calculating the economic cost of diabetes in a particular country that allows the user to change variables such as population, prevalence and so on.

World Health Organization: chronic diseases

This section of the WHO's website includes factsheets on chronic diseases, details of the agency's relevant activities and programmes, and detailed technical information about action plan that the agency backs.

Also included are links to key reports on chronic diseases (detailed in the Reports section of Key Documents)