Address of the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, at the launch of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cape Town

10 September 2007

Programme Director, Phil Mjwara,
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Njabulo Ndebele,
South African Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena,
Minister of University and Research from Italy, Fabio Mussi,
The Director-General of the ICGEB, Professor Franscisco Baralle,
Leaders of the South African National System of Innovation,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank you for deeming our country worthy of hosting the Cape Town Component of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), one of only three major international biotechnology laboratories servicing a seventy-four country partnership.

On behalf of the government and people of South Africa, I am honoured to extend a warm welcome to all of you.

Let me also take advantage of this occasion to thank the African Ministers' Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) Science and Technology Steering Committee which, in 2005, agreed that Africa should host the third ICGEB Component.

All of us, as South Africans, appreciate the fact that the Cape Town Component we are launching today will join its sister Components in Trieste, Italy and New Delhi, India, together forming one of the most powerful international facilities for high quality scientific research and training in the field of biosciences.

The ICGEB is an eminent example of how humanity can put together limited individual resources within nation states to create a substantial international force for the good.

As we all know, biotechnology can and must play a key role in addressing many of the challenges facing the African continent in particular and the developing world as a whole. This branch of knowledge is making and will make a critical contribution in terms of addressing contemporary and future needs in such areas as health, food and energy security, especially in the wake of major global challenges that include climate change.

Equally, we look to biotechnology to assist us in the developing world to enhance our capacity in the areas of indigenous knowledge systems and biodiversity, so that we can develop these areas into sustainable initiatives for the benefit of all our peoples and humanity as a whole.

Let me take this opportunity to say some few words about what our country has done in the field of biotechnology. Our country has over the years been making serious efforts to develop a strong knowledge base in the biosciences. In fact, four of the world's Nobel Prize winners in biotechnology-related fields are South Africans.

These are:

* Sydney Brenner, for his work in eluding controlled cell-death during organ development, (2002),
* Aaron Klug on macromolecular biology, (1982),
* Allan Cormack for co-inventing the CT scan (1979),
* Max Theiler, for his work on yellow fever (1951).

We are indeed very proud of these high achievers who, through their work, demonstrate the potential for science to turn the tide of poverty in Africa and help us to build a modern, knowledge driven-economy.

Indeed, one of the critical challenges facing our continent is to ensure that we produce sufficient numbers of experts in the area of science and technology, inspired by the example set by these eminent scientists.

I must also register our sincere appreciation of the position taken by the governments of the G8 countries during the 2005 G8 Gleneagles Summit Meeting, which, at the suggestion of the Government of Italy, supported the establishment of the African component of the ICGEB.

In this regard, let me also convey our country's special thanks to the former Italian Minister of University and Research, Letizia Moratti, who was very instrumental in ensuring that the ICGEB component in Africa becomes the reality we are witnessing today.

We would also like to extend this genuine gratitude to our counterparts on the African continent, Nigeria and Tanzania, for the remarkable spirit of partnership and support shown to us after our country was selected to host this Centre. Without doubt, the bidding campaign to host the African component of the ICGEB was conducted truly in the spirit of the African Renaissance.

Following the extraordinary success of The Human Genome and Africa Conference, hosted by our country in March 2003, and the decision to turn the event into an annual forum, conference delegates committed themselves to prepare for the era of genomics and its consequences by, among others:

* improving the quality of education in this field at all levels,
* improving awareness and understanding of genetics and its consequences, among governments, health services administrators and the medical profession, including the establishment of regulatory systems and ethical review structures to regulate and evaluate the wide variety of technologies that are being developed from genomics,
* facilitating the formation of regional networks and establishing centres for genetic research programmes that would address the health problems pertinent to our region and the Continent,
* developing mechanisms effectively to communicate the relevant scientific concepts and engaging the general public in an informed dialogue.

I have no doubt that this Cape Town component of the ICGEB will make an important contribution in our effort to address the challenges identified during the subsequent Genomics and Africa Conferences and in Africa's Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action with regard to reversing the 'brain drain' and turning it into a 'brain gain' for our Continent.

Of great importance to us as Africans, the breaking of the genetic code and the deeper understanding of the human genome have begun to change our grasp of human origins, of domestication, of migration and development.

This knowledge will increase our understanding of humanity's travails over millennia and will, through this enlightenment, also have the added benefit of lessening ill-begotten and pernicious racial and ethnic prejudices among and between the peoples of the world.

In addition to teaching us about the evolution of humanity, the Human Genome Project will inform us about how diseases develop and how we can prevent and otherwise respond to them. It will, simply, change our scientific horizons and, with that, the ethical and legal framework within which we operate.

As you know, this has enormous implications for the continent of Africa in medicine, in law, in history, in sociology and in shifting Africa's location away from the periphery of modern scientific and cultural development, to the centre.

We are also confident that significant scientific advances will indeed be made in the fight against malaria, tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV and Aids and other major diseases that, most unfortunately, receive too little public attention.

These advances are almost certain to be achieved as a consequence of our better understanding of the Human Genome and will inevitably have a huge impact on the African people. They are also likely to throw new light on humanity's capacity to shape its environment.

Having declared the 21st an African Century, it is of vital importance, in the affairs of genomics, that Africa is not left behind. To advance, we have to build partnerships that will ensure that we travel an epic journey of discovery and renewal together with the rest of the world.

In this regard, I am particularly pleased that Africa has already performed a key role in the Human Genome initiative. As I said, South African geneticist Sydney Brenner won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work in genomics, and world-renowned South African scientist Professor Himla Soodyall of the University of Witwatersrand, has already briefed the South African Cabinet about her discoveries concerning human migration patterns based on the tracking of mitochondrial DNA.

As we gather here today, dozens of other African scientists are currently engaged in investigating different aspects of the 80 000 cells that collectively define the characteristics and proclivities of every individual on the planet.

This work, focused on the sciences and the advancement of scientific research and education, is fully in keeping with the agenda of the African Union's (AU) blueprint for development, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad).

At the same time we recognise and acknowledge the critical constraints that inhibit the formation of new knowledge on our continent. In particular, the lack of adequately trained biotechnologists, suitable laboratory facilities and specialised equipment and technical expertise constitute important obstacles to maximal use of bioscience to address Africa's problems.

It is an established fact that sustainable food production is seriously at risk in the developing world, including Africa. Accordingly, the application of new research and development innovations has the potential to help us defeat hunger and malnutrition, the immediate real dimensions of food insecurity. Indeed,
plant biotechnology research within this component will play an important role in this regard.

Sub-Saharan Africa has great strength in the diversity of its flora. Partnerships and networks in plant biotechnology will be crucial in ensuring that Africa effectively utilises its biodiversity. In this regard, networks such as the African Biosciences Network, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Microbial Resources Networks (MIRCENS) in East and West Africa, the Cassava Biotechnology Network and others must assume greater significance.

These partnerships should and must go beyond the formal institutions and involve farmers, decision makers and communities in order to benefit our countries, our regions and the continent. Needless to say, all the initiatives we have mentioned also require strong and effective public-private partnerships.

The Nepad African Bioscience Initiative, also housed in South Africa by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is addressing some of our challenges by striving to make optimal use of presently available human resources and facilities, and mobilising public and private resources to address our key bioscience goals.

Hopefully, the Cape Town component of the ICGEB will support regional co-operation on biotechnology and strengthen other regional platforms.

The central role played by technology in economic development is increasingly acknowledged internationally, and there is no doubt that scientific knowledge and innovation could jump-start and sustain our continent's development process and ensure that we meet the Millennium Development Goals.

Being an ICGEB member offers us new opportunities to further our National Biotechnology Strategy through participation in advanced ICGEB collaborative research programmes and comprehensive training schemes. In addition, we have been able to participate in a high-level intergovernmental forum where policy issues related to bio-safety and technology transfer are discussed.

Our government, through the Department of Science and Technology, is contributing approximately 4 million Euros towards the start-up costs of the Cape Town Component of the ICGEB over the next four years. I have it on good authority that these funds are only sufficient to establish three research groups, while the component aims to institute a minimum of seven research groups by 2010.

I therefore invite potential partners to assist and work with this component to ensure that it realises its objectives. Our government will keep on its agenda the task to do everything it can to contribute to the success of this centre.

I am confident that our country and this location will provide a good home for this component of the ICGEB, as we have done with other science and technology initiatives aimed at Africa's development, including the African Laser Centre, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences and Nepad's African Biosciences Initiative.

I am truly honoured and thank you for the privilege officially to inaugurate the Cape Town Component of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). On behalf of our country and continent, I wish everybody who will work at this centre, as well as their colleagues in Trieste and New Delhi, success in their important work.

Thank you.

Issued by: The Presidency
10 September 2007
Source: SAPA