850 



92 Rodmv W Sichoh 



assess all national priorities and relate science and technology to each one oi them.' 

 This task is immensely ditticult Few nations have done it well, and most have not 

 done it at all. 



The second reason why the guidelines for National Paper have been awkward to 

 apply is that it had been decided in 1975 76 to stress a hii^hlydecentrali/.ed approach 

 to the preparations. There was to be virtually no centrally directed priority-.setting, 

 or analysis of international trends, from the Conference's international .secretariat. 

 Instead there was to be an exclusive emphasis on work in the field by each nation.* 

 This attractive strategy— to begin analysis at the grass roots—has been called an 

 "ascending prcicess"] by Mr. da Costa. 



But the vast majority ot countries need a new surge of building science and 

 technology into their development because they now have little in the way of what, 

 in unhappy jargon, is called "S&T infrastructure." i.e.. the groups of individuals 

 and institutions that can carry out scientific and technological projects. For that very 

 reason, they are not well equipped to participate substantively in the preparatory 

 activities. In particular, they needed outside help in preparing their National Papers. 

 Although this need was anticipated, it probably was not weighed heavily enough in 

 the original planning. In any case, apparently too few consultants were sent to the 

 field. Most National Papers from I.DCs are said to not reflect new analyses of policy 

 at the highest levels of government. 



A third reason for the ineffectiveness ot the guidelines for the preparatory process 

 is that the particular instructions intended for the industrialized countries were given 

 a rather hostile and biased tone. Despite that tone, most of the developed countries 

 launched preparations. The United States, for example, assigned a highly capable and 

 energetic career ambassador with a special, full-time office which has been devoting 

 unusual efforts to a government wide process that is in touch with many private 

 groups throughout the country.'' 



Stronger cooperation by most DCs was, in truth, unlikely even with a much 

 happier environment at the UN, because the North perceives growing economic 

 threats from the South. On balance, then, having not vet come to terms with any 

 long range answers to North South equilibrium as 1978 ended, the North did not 

 assign the highest priority to UNCSTD. 



Worldwide Pattern 



Among the gcwernmental activities, the collection ot regional papers was envisioned 

 as a key ciMiiponcnt in the "ascending character" ot the preparatory process. For 

 many reasons, this component has also not yet produced cogent results. If the 

 "ascending proce.ss" had yielded new depth and realism in analysis at the national 

 level, then new ideas for regional cooperation might have been stimulated. More 

 energetic action may be forthcoming during the first half of 1979. particularly if the 

 national preparations begin to pick up steam. Regional organizations may also be 

 encouraged into new lines of effective partnership by initiatives such as those 

 identified by the UN Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing 

 Countries, which was held in Buenos Aires during the late summer of 1978. 

 Nongovernmental organizations have always been participating within the range 



