Human Resources Development

Encourages Member States to make technological knowledge and learning a priority of their human resources development strategies at all levels of education, including formal and informal learning, emphasizes the importance of the capacity of educators in the technology learning process, and encourages the international community to continue to facilitate, in view of the difference in level of development between countries, an adequate diffusion of scientific and technical knowledge and transfer of, access to and acquisition of technology for developing countries, under fair, transparent and mutually agreed terms, in a manner conducive to human resources development;

Urges the adoption of cross-sectoral approaches to human resources development, which combine, among other factors, economic growth, poverty eradication, the provision of basic social services, sustainable livelihoods, the empowerment of women, the involvement of young people, the needs of vulnerable groups of society and of local indigenous communities, political freedom, popular participation and respect for human rights, justice and equity, all of which are essential for enhancing human capacity in order to meet the challenge of development;

Calls upon the international community, including the entities of the United Nations system, to support the efforts of developing countries to address the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases on their human resources;

Encourages Member States to build information and communications technologies capacity to promote equitable access to and use of information and communications technologies in order to improve professional competencies and technical skills and to create an enabling environment for lifelong learning, and reiterates the crucial role of the international community in fulfilling its commitments in this regard;

Also encourages Member States to expand technical, vocational, craft and utilitarian science education to all sectors of society, especially to women and disadvantaged groups, and to promote their empowerment through the use of information and communications technologies to facilitate more equitable access to training and education on science and technology;

Encourages partnerships with subregional, regional and international networks and research facilities and other relevant institutions, public and private, to optimize research efforts, facilitate cost-sharing and achieve mutual gains, and requests the United Nations system to assist in this regard;

Calls upon the relevant entities of the United Nations system to give priority to the objectives of human resources development through, inter alia, integrating into their development programmes explicit support for building science and technology capacities compatible with local needs, resources, culture and practices;

Urges the international community and the United Nations system, including through public-private partnerships, to continue to support the efforts of developing countries in formulating human resources development strategies that promote technological capability;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session a report on the implementation of human resources development strategies, in particular on lessons learned and the role of the international community and other entities, including the private sector, in assisting these efforts;