Harnessing technologies for sustainable development in Africa: by K.Y. Amoako executive secretary, economic commission for Africa

Abstract

Statement delivered by K.Y. Amoako Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa at the 5th Annual Peter Doherty Distinguished Lecture. Mr. Amoako, on his remarks he highlighted that, sustainable development is easy to explain but substantially more difficult to realize. Basically, it is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is a pattern of development that ensures a steady enhancement of well-being over time. It requires structural changes that lead to enduring widespread improvements in the quality of life of a society. It is hardly breaking news that as we settle into the 21st century, science and technology have become pervasive in all sectors of human endeavour. They shape the way we grow our food and eat it, the way we dress, the way we travel, the way we learn and work, the way we communicate, and the way we make war and peace. In the last century alone, science and technology generated more knowledge than in all the epochs of human existence put together. Hundreds of millions of people have already enjoyed the fruits of this explosion in enhanced health, education, life expectancy, reduced maternal mortality, labour saving, and entertainment. The United Nations Development Program has produced a technology achievement index. It measures technology creation, technology diffusion and the human skills that go with harnessing technology.