Preparations for the 5th Parliamentary and Scientific Conference
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Sec Doc. 4425, motion for an order, and Doc. 4423, opinion of the Committee on Science and Technology on the scientific and technological policy activities of OECD in 1978. Text adopted by the Assembly on 9 October 1979 (17th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. In the light of its examination of the report on the activities of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for 1978 (
Doc. 4358) and the report by its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development (
Doc. 4410) ;
2. Having regard to the opinion presented by its Committee on Science and Technology on the scientific and technological policy activities of OECD (
Doc. 4423), and to the report of the OECD "Interfutures" project referred to therein ;
3. Impressed by the extent to which considerations of technology policy have come to bear on decisions concerning a high proportion of OECD's activities and to permeate discussions of economic policy at the highest level ;
4. Noting that, as shown by the report of OECD for 1978 and in particular by the "Interfutures" project, policy formulation in OECD is marked by increasing concern with long-term perspectives and world interdependence as reflected in the growing international division of labour ;
5. Recognising that :
5.1 the growing international division of labour presents to the economies of some of the industrialised countries a challenge to which the present recession associated with the energy crisis makes it difficult to respond ;
5.2 constructive responses to this challenge depend on improving the readiness of our societies : a. to undertake technical change, b. to create and sustain a more diversified range of technological options (notably in the field of energy), and c. to switch with far more flexibility, as circumstances may dictate, between the technological trajectories on which our industries are operating ;
5.3 the creation of better conditions for technological innovation depends - in addition to the provision of more effective incentives for investment in research and development - a. on reform of technological education and training, b. on improved forms of public consultation and participation (notably by the social partners) in the process of technology policy decision-making, and c. - in regard to the longer term - on restoration of adequate levels of funding for systems of basic research and reinforcement of their autonomy,
6. Instructs its Committee on Science and Technology, in preparing the 5th Parliamentary and Scientific Conference, to examine, on the basis-of its opinion in reply to the OECD activities report for 1978 (
Doc. 4423), questions of scientific and technological policy currently receiving priority attention within OECD, with a view to ensuring that global long-term perspectives and analyses such as those of the "Interfutures" project receive adequate consideration in parliamentary and governmental decision-making at national and European levels.
