The eleventh session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development will be held in Geneva from 26 to 30 May 2008. The Commission will review the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) at the regional and international levels.

The Commission will also address the following topics:

• Development-oriented policies for a socio-economically inclusive information society, including policies relating to access, infrastructure and an enabling environment.
  
  
• Science, technology and engineering for innovation and capacity-building in education and research.

Participants will include representatives of Governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.

The session will open at 9.30 a.m. on Monday, 26 May, in Room XVIII of the Palais des Nations. Except for Monday 26 May morning, the morning meetings will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the afternoon meetings from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.The first day will consist of a ministerial high-level segment in the morning and an interactive dialogue with the United Nations regional economic and social commissions in the afternoon. The morning session of the second day will consist of two multi-stakeholder panels, including representatives of business entities, civil society, Governments, international and regional organizations and WSIS Action Line facilitators.

A list of the States members of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development is also attached. Travel expenses (but not per diem) are paid by UNCTAD for one representative of each member of the Commission. International organizations and States members of UNCTAD that are not members of the Commission may attend the session as observers on the understanding that the cost of their attendance will be borne by their authorities. Please inform the secretariat before 30 April 2008 of the composition of your delegation and the name of the focal point for the session, so that the necessary arrangements for their participation can be made.

Any questions about the preparations for the eleventh session of the Commission should be addressed to Mr. Mongi Hamdi: tel.: +41 (0)22 917 5069; fax: +41 (0)22 917 0122; e-mail: mongi.hamdi@unctad.org.

(signed)

Supachai Panitchpakdi
Secretary-General of UNCTAD
14 April 2008

States Members of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development