International Symposium "Priorities in Science and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean: planning the future action"

The International Symposium: "Priorities in Science and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean: planning the future action" , preceded the inaugural ceremony of ICSU-LAC and discussed the four priority areas being considered for the development of regional scientific collaboration programs: Mathematic Education, Biodiversity, Sustainable Energy and Natural Disasters. The Symposium was supported by FAPERJ (Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro) the Estate of Rio de Janeiro agency for the support of scientific research.

Two other topics were also discussed at the Symposium: the International Council for Science and its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean; and International Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The first round table, with Professors Thomas Rosswall, Executive Director of ICSU, Hernan Chaimovich, ICSU Vice President for External Relations, and José Antonio de la Peña, Chair of the ICSU Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, presented the International Council for Science and its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, and informed of the activities of the Regional Committee, created last year and integrated by distinguished scientists from the region. This scientific committee is responsible for the development of strategic plans for the activities of ICSU-LAC.

In the two roundtables that discussed Recent Developments and Future Action in the four priority areas being considered, Professor Mary Kalin Arroyo, from Chile, made a presentation on biodiversity and the importance of the theme for Latin America and the Caribbean, while Dr. Décio Luiz Gazzoni, from EMBRAPA in Brazil, presented the ICSU initiatives related to sustainable energy and discussed the regional potentialities in this area. The theme of natural disasters was presented by Professor Allan Lavell, from Costa Rica, who mentioned the relevance of the thematic for Latin America and the importance of a regional collaboration to develop the science needed to understand and mitigate these phenomena. Professor Carlos Nobre, from INPE, Brazil, clearly showed the linkages between global change and natural disasters and stressed the need to increase our knowledge of the region through a consistent and substantive science project. Finally, Professor José Antonio de la Peña, Chair of the ICSU Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean and Deputy Director of CONACYT, Mexico, and Elon Lages Lima, from IMPA in Brazil, showed the dismal situation of basic mathematic proficiency of the Latin-American students in general and the importance of developing regional actions to revert this.

Recent Developments and Future Action: Natural Disasters (Carlos Nobre)

Priorities in Science and Technology for Latin America and The Caribbean: Planning Future Action (Mary Kalin Arroyo)

ICSU Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean: Activities and Scientific Programms (José Antonio de La Peña)

International Science Panel on Renewable Energies (Décio Gazzoni)