The African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology, established under the auspices of the New Programme for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Union, is a high-level platform for developing policies and setting priorities on science, technology and innovation for African development.
The CSIR has received acknowledgement for its leadership and active support to the NEPAD science and technology (S&T) plan from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the NEPAD S&T office. The main areas of activity are SANBio and the African Laser Centre. The CSIR was officially appointed as the SANBio biotechnology hub in September 2006. Water and energy were recently added to the portfolio of CSIR-NEPAD activities and the organisation was commissioned to develop an energy business plan for the NEPAD S&T office. Discussions are underway with regard to climate change, water, desertification, peace and security and materials science.