STAFF REPORT ISB: Pakistan is facilitating the two-day COMSTECH General Assembly in the capital, where delegates from 57 Muslim countries have accumulated to propose a 10-year action plan worth $2.1 billion including initiatives for advancement of science and technology. Participants of the General Assembly mentioned that advancement of science is the best articulation of human capacities and specified that for the same reason, the Muslims researchers had assumed a huge part till sixteenth century.
“Muslim nations need to build their financial plan for scientific exploration as skilful human resource is the premise of a developed society,” the Mamoon Hussain, President of Pakistan said in his address at the inauguration of fifteenth session of Organization of Islamic Cooperations Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH). He encouraged upon the Muslim nations to hold hands in advancement of science and technology to discover approaches to end poverty and guarantee provision of essential facilities to their people.
President of Pakitsan regretted that despite of ample resources, the contribution for science and technology for Muslim countreis is trifling. He specified that in correlation with the developed world, the consolidated spending of Muslim countries in the field of science and technology is just 2.4 percent, the proportion of research papers is six percent and Internationally perceived patent creations is only 1.5 percent. “Because of this backwardness, we have not possessed the capacity to get ready researchers and engineers and are depending on developed countries to meet our technological needs,” he added.
Iyad Ameen Madani, Secretary General OIC said the world is confronting challenges identified with energy, environment and water shortage, to which, he said socially-sensitive arrangements in light of advancement is need of great importance. He said OIC is contributing towards enhanced social insurance especially polio eradication and cancer treatment. Ahmed Muhammad Ali, President Islamic Development Bank said the Bank is concentrating on giving funds to technological training and grants for advancement of science.
Babur Girgin, Turkeys envoy to Pakistan read out the message of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is the current OIC Chairman. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanvir Hussain said Pakistan is conferred for the advancement and innovation and scientific researcch for improvement of individuals lives. In the interim, Organization of Islamic Cooperations (OIC) Standing Committee on Science and Technology affirmed a ten-year action plan for scientific development in Muslim World.
On the event, Iyad Ameen Madani OIC Secretary General, Dr Ahmed Mohamed Ali President Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Dr Shaukat Hameed Khan COMSTECH Coordinator General were also present. The motivation behind the ten-year action plan is to advance science and technology in the Muslim world. Some 159 leading scientists and thinkers of 20 OIC members countries were involved in the preparation of the action plan