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NANOTECHNOLOGY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AT THE CROSSROADS :
Towards an structured dialogue on nanotechnology-induced change
Dr. Françoise D. ROURE
3 rd International Dialogue on Responsible Research and Development of Nanotechnology.
Brussels, 11-12 March 2008, European Parliament.
KEYNOTE LECTURE
Distinguished Colleagues, this is a great honor for me to be invited to address the question of
the appropriate model of public governance for responsible research and development of
nanotechnology, at a global scale, in a meeting hosted, what is more, by the European
Parliament.
I know by experience that from the dialogue between cultures and from a mosaic of cultures
can emerge the best fruits for humankind.
Distinguished Colleagues, nanotechnology global governance is at the crossroads. A shared
culture of responsible innovation might be the unifying principle that will guide us towards a
cooperative approach in our search of an appropriate model for nanotechnology governance.
Since the First dialogue took place, thanks to the cooperative vision and the personal courage
of Mike ROCO, and thanks also to the conventional wisdom of our mediators from the
Meridian Institute, who were supposed to drive the participants up to the expressions of a
consensus where positions were not expected to converge spontaneously, since this First
dialogue in Alexandria (Virginia), policy makers have entered a series of initiatives whose
first results were perceptible at the Tokyo meeting of June 2006 where the 2 nd dialogue took
place at the invitation of our Japanese colleagues.
The preparatory meeting of the 3 rd Dialogue, held in Cape Town at the invitation of our South
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