Co-founder and current secretary EPT Electronic Publishing Trust
for Development (EPT) Access to Scientific Knowledge for
Sustainable Development: Options for Developing Countries The
term 'sustainable development' was first coined by the
Brundtland Commission, convened by the United Nations in 1983 .
It denotes 'development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.' Although defined originally to meet the
concerns relating to environmental damage, it has since been
used to encompass the broader needs of society through economic,
social and political sustainability. Over the past few decades,
it has been widely recognised that sustainable economic growth
cannot take place without a strong science base. In 1982, a
UNESCO report stated that 'assimilation of scientific and
technological information is an essential precondition for
progress in developing countries'. Again, a few years ago, the
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs instituted a