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mation in Africa, we will provide support to the organisation of theRegional Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing ofthe Environment (AARSE), in October 2010.As I alluded to earlier on, education ensures our future and therefore,human resource development is the main factor for economicprosperity and it is important that priority is accorded to investing inhuman capacity development. The evolving knowledge-based economyhas created continuous demand for a highly skilled workforcein the development, use and deployment of STI for socio-economicdevelopment, characterised by an ever increasing demand for highlyskilled human resources for developing and maintaining a competitiveedge in the global market. High-quality S&T education and trainingis essential to the efficient acquisition, utilisation, creation anddissemination of the relevant knowledge and skills and therefore,education and training providers will have to “come to the table”and play a pivotal role in supporting all members of society as theyadjust to the new environment of developing a vibrant knowledgebasedeconomy.Finally, distinguished participants, I do hope that the CODIST subcommitteeswill among others, address some of these issues fromtheir various perspectives, including how to:• Draw on the lessons learned from the global financial crisis andhow science and technology can be scaled up in our countries;• Identify the key constraints facing African decision-maker e.g.innovative financial mechanisms as traditional financial mechanismshave shown their limitations;• Define the enabling environment needed for the developmentof Africa’s STI system that can enhance private partnerships andaccelerate economic growth;• Develop capacity-building strategies that address the ever-increasingdemand for highly skilled human resources;• Revitalise AISI through a regional roadmap towards building aknowledge-driven economy; andIntegrating Africa251