The Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS) will be hosting the African academies at an international conference titled “Biotechnology for Development in Africa”. This meeting will be held in Addis Ababa between the 11th and 14th of November, 2013.

This will be part of the 9th Annual Meeting of the African Science Academies (AMASA), with funding from the Gates Foundation facilitated by the US National Academies (NAS) through its African Academies Development Initiative (ASADI). The meetings are aimed at fostering greater understanding of evidence-based policy advice and to highlight current public-policy challenges in which advisory processes of academies could add value for decision-making.  

ORGANISING PARTNERS

• The Ministry of Science and Technology
• The Royal Society – UK
• Network of African Science Academies (NASAC)
• National Academy of Science (NAS) – US
• Addis Ababa University (AAU)
• Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (Ethiopia) 

GOAL STATEMENT

• To map the development of biotechnology in Africa with clear regulations on biosafety intellectual property protection and access to genetic resources and achieve food security and food safety as well as the sustainable use of biodiversity.
• To enhance general understanding of the potential benefits and promise of biotechnology in the African continent in general and increase awareness of policy makers and the public on biotechnology’s role in national development.
• To promote the development and use of biotechnology innovation in Ethiopia in particular and in Africa in general and advise governments on latest and best biotechnology developments.
• To strengthen ties between the academic, governmental, non-governmental and private industry sectors on biotechnology research.
• To explore diverse training avenues of human resources in biotechnology in order to find solutions to current problems facing the nation and the region.  

Contact Address: eassecretariat@gmail.com Tel: (+251) 112595745  

Website: www.eas-et.org 2 

OBJECTIVES

• To adopt an Africa-wide position on issues concerning the role of biotechnology in addressing food security, health issues/medicine including diagnostics, environment, etc.
• To lead to clarification on Africa’s stand on biotechnology vis-à-vis bio-safety.
• To provide ample opportunity to contending parties to express their arguments regarding the contentious issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) so that the potentials and risks are clearly appreciated.
• To see beyond the present and aim at promoting capacity building for biotechnology at national and regional level in Africa where comparative advantages dictate.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants at the conference include, among others, researchers; policy makers; development agents; international organization, multi-lateral/bilateral organisations, NGOs; and the private sector.

Presentations at the conference will be by selected speakers drawn from amongst the expertise in the field nationally, regionally and internationally. The timetable for submission of abstracts, and the papers to be presented will be made in due course.

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