Objectives:

• Strengthen the policy framework for knowledge production and STI systems;
• Increase institutional and human capacity to produce and disseminate knowledge;
• Strengthen the capacities of African societies to monitor, make use of, and to critically assess knowledge and STI for development;
• Encourage the participation of youth and especially women in ICTs as regards their use and application in the context of socio-economic development and STI activities and research and development; and to strengthen commercialization of the results of research and links between academia and industry.

Main actions

• Assess, review, develop and harmonize knowledge production policies, including STI policies both at national and regional levels;
• Support and mobilize existing African think-tanks both at regional and subregional level, for decisionmaking and STI development;
• Strengthen African higher education and research institutions, research, and research, development and innovation (RDI) capacity;
• Promote the twinning of institutions and exchanges of STI experts through North-South, South-South and South-North-South cooperation;
• Improve universal access to information and knowledge as well as build capacity in the field of ICT use in Africa;
• Ensure that more youth and especially young women participate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers;
• Develop African capacity in the preservation of documentary heritage.