Statement to establish the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South

Preamble
The parties to the present Agreement representing Heads of State or Government of the countries in the South::
	Realizing the importance and necessity of a joint political commitment, by the Heads of State or Government in the south, to place science and technology at the top of their development agenda and to support major initiatives of common concern aimed at building and sustaining indigenous capacities in science and technology and their application to socio-economic development;
	Recalling the 1988 Trieste Declaration, which was adopted by the Founding Members of the Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (including 15 Ministers of Science and Technology and 30 Heads of Science Academies and Research Councils from the South) and in which they resolved to work towards giving science and technology a position of highest priority in their own countries and to strengthen their collaboration with other countries of the South as well as of the North;
	Appreciating the efforts of the President of the Third-World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), the Nobel Laureate Professor Abdus Salam, in sensitizing the political leadership in the South to increase funding for research and development and to intensify their cooperation, in order to narrow the widening gap between the North and the South in generation of science and new technologies and their utilization in technology- production and social services;
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1: Establishment
	The parties to this Agreement hereby establish the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), hereinafter referred to as "the Commission";
	The Commission shall operate in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Article 2: Membership
	The Membership of the Commission shall be open to all Heads of State or Government of the South. The Members may, however, appoint nominees to attend meetings of the Commission or represent them in other ways;
	Professor Dr. Abdus Salam shall be a Member of the Commission.
Article 3: Mission, Objectives and Functions
The Commission shall have the following objectives and functions:
	to sensitize the countries in the South to the centrality of science and technology in the development-process, to the adequate resource allocation for research and development, and to the integration of science and technology in the national and regional development plans;
	to support the establishment of a Network of International Science and Technology Centres for Sustainable Development, in the South;
	to support other major initiatives designed to promote indigenous capacity in science and technology for science-led sustainable development, and to help mobilize long-term financial support, from international donor-agencies and from Government / Institutions in the North and the South, to supplement the financing of international scientific projects in the South;
	to provide leadership and support for major North-South and South-South cooperative schemes in education, training and research, such as the proposal to set up programmes of scholarships for research at centres of excellence in the South;
	to support the relevant programmes and initiatives of major scientific organizations working for the development and promotion of science and technology in the South.
Article 4: The Chairperson
	The Prime Minister of Pakistan is the Chairperson of the Commission. The Commission shall elect, on a rotation basis, a Chairperson from among its Members every three years;
	The Chairperson shall convene and host at least one meeting of the Commission during the period of three years.
Article 5: The Secretariat
	The Headquarters of the Network of International Science and Technology Centres for Sustainable Development in the South, located at Islamabad, Pakistan, shall act as Secretariat for the Commission, and the Executive Director of the Headquarters shall be the Secretary of the Commission;
	The Secretariat shall work closely with the office of the Chairperson of the Commission in coordinating the Commission's functions and activities;
	The secretariat shall establish close working relationships with TWNSO, the Group of 77, the South Centre, the Ministry of, or body responsible for, Science and Technology of the country hosting the Secretariat, and with international and other relevant organizations.
Article 6: Finance
	The Commission may invite Members and donor organizations to make contributions towards the costs of its programmes.
Article 7: Revisions and Amendments
	The Agreement, in its present form, shall be subject to revisions at the next meeting of the Commission
Article 8: Signature and Acceptance
	The present Agreement shall be open for signature by all Members as defined in Article II.