The Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies was established as a subsidiary body of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), by virtue of resolution 672(XXXIV), adopted by the Commission at its thirty-fourth session. One main objective of the Conference is to promote the development and improvement of national policies on science, technology and innovation and those related to the progress of the information and knowledge society, bearing in mind the recommendations made by the specialized agencies and other relevant organizations. The Conference is also commended with furthering international, regional and bilateral cooperation among national offices and international and regional agencies to facilitate technology and knowledge transfer and joint activities in the field of science, technology and innovation.
The first session of the Conference on Science, Innovation and Information and Communications Technologies of ECLAC was held in Santiago on 9 and 10 June 2014, and was attended by representatives of the national agencies for science, technology and innovation of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. On that occasion, the Conference discussed opportunities for regional cooperation on training and capacity-building in science, technology and innovation; the role of information and communications technologies for the development of science, technology and innovation and the need for institution-building in this area.