Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

The National Science and Technology Council (STC ) held a one day symposium last week to discuss the draft Science, Technology and Innovated (ST&I) policy framework for the island.

Director of STC, Dr James De Vere Pitt said that similar consultations are being held throughout member countries of the Caribbean Council for Science and Technology (CCST) on the draft policy framework. According to Dr. Pitt, the document was accepted by CCST and had been sent to the 18th Conference of Heads Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

He admitted that although the document was presented as long ago as 1997 to the regional heads, very little has happened. "In a regional context we hope that these consultations are not just another exercise in 'talk' but would lead to implementation of at least some of the recommendations in the STI document", he said.

Chairman of STC, Carlton Frederick described the policy framework as a CARICOM document that is being formulated to set up strategies to be followed in terms of pushing Science and Technology forward in the region. "It sets out guidelines as to what should be followed in dealing in certain areas", he remarked.

These areas are Agriculture and the Food Sector, Environment and Natural Resource Management, Disaster Management, Health, Alternative Energy , Information Communication Technology, Standardisation, and Waste Management.

Others are Water, Sustainable Tourism, Marine Resource Management, Biotechnology, Development of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise, and Regulatory Framework, Intellectual Property Rights and Education.

After the end of the regional consultation process throughout the member states, a report will be compiled of the discussions and then submitted to regional ministers at a Caribbean Ministerial Summit in August/September for adoption.