SERDEF Trustee and Science and Technology Undersecretary Fortunato T. dela Pena was elected chairman of the United Nations’ Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD), according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Dela Peña now chairs the 15th Session of the prestigious UNCSTD at its 14th Session in Geneva. “Undersecretary Dela Peña’s election serves as international recognition of the country’s role and efforts in promoting science and technology and the use of information and communications technology for development,” the DFA said in a statement Friday.
The UNCSTD is an agency tasked in promoting science and technology for development. It is mandated by the Economic and Social Council to oversee the system-wide follow-up, including the review and assessment of progress made in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). It also helps promote technologies that address global challenges, the DFA added.
(From Inquirer News, June 4, 2011)