NICHOLS: FOREIGN POLICY 



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More broadly, from the perspective of the LDCs technological 

 "dependency" upon developed countries, every contemporary dialogue 

 about North-South relations touches on how to increase the level of in- 

 ternational research and development that relates directly to the needs of 

 developing countries. 



Many challenging, long-run topics can be placed under the heading of 

 global concerns and principles. Perhaps the most dramatic change in the 

 world during the 1970s— a change that has put science and technology 

 more squarely in the middle of the diplomatic map— has been the sharply 

 broadened understanding that global problems really matter. Consider, 

 for example, the new senses of interdependence in relation to earthquake 

 prediction, changes in climate, incidence of famine, supplies of energy, 

 surveys of resources. Even public health is viewed internationally in new 

 ways, although health for a much longer time had been understood as a 

 worldwide responsibility owing to the risks of epidemic infectious 

 diseases. Cogent subcategorizations can and must be made among these 

 global concerns as they affect specific countries. But technology is drawn 

 from, world-wide sources and partly for this reason diplo"mats around the 

 world have been forced to deal more frequently with scientists. Further- 

 more, the universal goals of human rights resonate with the international 

 ethos of the scientific community. 



Our discussion-outline shows a dotted line at this point offering two 

 further headings about themes of a different kind: historical trends, and 

 future stresses. 



Mr. Delapalme presented interesting data regarding the recent in- 

 dustrial production trends in Europe, the past dramatic changes in 

 demographic projections, and the less dramatic but nonetheless decisive 

 changes in power relations among the major industrial nations within the 

 past 100 years. All of these data underscore a remark that Brzezinski 

 made a few months ago: "There is a redistribution of both political and 

 economic power in the world today . . . this means that the older in- 

 dustrial countries have to rely increasingly on technological innovation 

 to maintain their place in the world." 



Just as Brzezinski was looking historically in that remark, we must 

 refine our analysis of how and why past trends have driven so many 

 issues of science and technology into the concerns of foreign policy. We 

 must also be clear about the likely future stresses— such as on food sup- 

 plies, on energy resources, and on our organizational mechanisms for in- 

 ternational collaboration and conflict-resolution. 



I have tried so tar to illustrate— briefly, yet systematically— that the 

 perspective of foreign policy complicates many issues in national science 



