Remarks by the South African Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, on the occasion of the panel discussion “The world needs science: Most and the recommendation on science and scientific researchers” at the 2023 UNESCO General Conference
Wednesday 15 November 2023 at 14:00, Paris, France
Question 1: How do we make science count for Africa? What are your perspectives from your country South Africa?
Thank you, Chair, for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion about making science count for Africa.
I am sure most of us would agree that the goals of science are both to enable us to answer the great mysteries of our world and providing the tools for advancing human prosperity and sustainability of life on our planet.
Africa, as we all know from the anthropological records, is the birthplace of all humanity on earth. But Africa was also the site of some of humanity’s most shameful legacies of slavery, exploitation and domination and the continent today is facing massive challenges of under-development.
In order to make science count for Africa, it must disrupt these historical patterns of uneven and contradictory development. In short, African science has to become a source of Africa’s renewal and transformation.
In responding to the question posed, I suggest at least three key actions are critical to make science count for Africa.
All these actions are informed by the policy perspectives elaborated in South Africa’s new Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation approved by our Cabinet in 2022 and which, I should add, emphasizes the need for greater levels of investment in the social sciences and humanities to respond to our societal grand challenges.
So, what must be done? – Firstly, Africa needs to raise the levels of aggregate investment in both basic and applied sciences, including in scientific infrastructure and human talent to support its developmental goals. African governments must see science investment as a vital national priority which cannot be outsourced to donor or philanthropic funding, no matter how well-intentioned this might be.
Simply put, as African Governments, we must significantly increase our own investment in science and this is what we are committed to in South Africa and this is a cause that I am championing.
Secondly, in our effort to enhance public understanding, awareness and support for science in Africa. We also need to put in place enabling policy frameworks, notably, supporting the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science. South Africa stands ready to support its implementation through hosting the African Open Science Platform.
Thirdly, we need increased participation of African scientists in international cooperation programmes.
Science has always progressed through the sharing of experience and expertise, and African science needs global partnerships to progress, but also African science too is an important and indispensable source of knowledge needed to make our world a more inclusive and sustainable one.
It is for this reason that multilateral and global institutions such as UNESCO require our active and continued support as they provide a gateway for the global scientific community to work on common problems facing all humanity and our planet.
Question 2: Artificial Intelligence is a domain that will be critical in the years ahead. South Africa being a champion on this topic, how do you see next steps in making sure that we harness this technology for the benefit of society?
Artificial intelligence is indeed one of the key disruptive technologies of our time. It features prominently as a priority investment area in South Africa’s new Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation, for example as an enabling source of growth in the digital economy.
Most critically, the Decadal Plan also identifies investment in research to better under the impact of disruptive technologies on society, and the development of appropriate regulatory and governance frameworks for technologies such as AI, as a strategic priority.
For AI to promote the developmental goals of Africa, it is imperative that African Governments develop and agree on appropriate and responsive AI governance frameworks to guide the ethical, safe and responsible use of this technology.
This has become an urgent task, especially in the light of the accelerating pace of the development and deployment of AI in many areas including Large Language Models such as ChatGPT which are posing new challenges to our education and training systems, for example.
We must also ensure the equitable and inclusive access to AI applications including continuing our investment in human capacity for AI, especially the development of scientific talent for young researchers and creation of opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs.
Without any fail, we must ensure that we investment in the cyberinfrastructure needed for AI, such as in supercomputing, and ensuring that this is available to all.
Above all, governance is critical and, in this regard, we remain grateful to UNESCO for developing the first global standard for ethics of AI - the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
This landmark framework, if implemented, will help us, amongst others to address the racial and gender bias, which often are embedded in AI systems. The framework will safeguard us against AI applications, which violates human rights, and will also ensure that AI development does not contribute to climate degradation.
Yes, we are all excited about the enormous potential of AI as an instrument for good, but in the absence of appropriate governance frameworks, AI will, as recognized by UNESCO, compound existing inequalities, resulting in further harm to the already marginalized groups.
I would therefore, this afternoon, like to reiterate South Africa’s call for the immediate and full implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation.
We need to ensure that the governance of AI is truly inclusive, and not the self-claimed prerogative of a select few.
UNESCO offers us this inclusive, globally representative platform, where the voices of all matter. As South Africa, we commit our resources to support the Recommendation’s implementation, in Africa and elsewhere in the world.
I thank you.
