ROSTE

The year 1998, not only proved to be an extremely active year for UVO's numerous activities and projects being implemented throughout Europe, but was also a moment of recalling the 10th anniversary of the establishment of it's Regional Office for Science and Technology for Europe (ROSTE) in Venice, Italy.
ROSTE was initially known as the Regional Bureau for European Scientific Cooperative and was established during the autumn of 1971 as a separate unit attached to the office of the Assistant Director General for Sciences of UNESCO's Secretariat in Paris, France.

After a generous offer made by the Italian Government to host and support ROSTE, which was accepted by the Director General of UNESCO, the office was transferred to Venice in December 1988. In order to follow the UNESCO policy of decentralization, ROSTE began its operations almost immediately.

A special Scientific Council composed of eminent scientists coming from all over Europe and from various fields of science was created and announced in the presence of the Director General during the international symposium "Man, Science and Society on the Threshold of the Year 2000", held in July 1989 in Venice.

The members of the first ROSTE Scientific Council included, P. Bisogno (Italy) ; I. Burton (Canada) ; C. Goren Heden (Sweden) ; I. Lang (Hungary) ; J. Lions (France) ; I. Makarov (Russian Federation) ; I. Malecki (Poland) ; H. Menano (Portugal) ; L. Mostertman (the Netherlands) ; E. Munoz (Spain) ; C. Rubbia (Italy) ; A. Salam (ICTP-Italy) ; M. Sela (Israel) ; B. Sendov (Bulgaria) ; E. Weizsacker (Germany) ; A. Vlcek (Czech Republic).
The objectives of the first Scientific Council was to provide scientific advice and recommendations on the major orientations of ROSTE's scientific areas of activities.

According to recommendations made by the Scientific Council, and the suggestions attained during the meetings of the European National Commissions for UNESCO in 1991 and the basic provisions outlined in Resolution 2.2 "Regional cooperation in science and technology with particular reference to the new situation in Europe" adopted by the 26th UNESCO General Conferences, ROSTE was encouraged to take a significant role in the implementation within the fields of basic science (virology, bio-medical research, biotechnology, applied physics and chemistry); engineering and applied research (energy and new materials and environmentally sound technologies); environment (ecology, hydrology, oceanography); transformation of scientific communities in Europe (science and technology policy, intellectual migration "brain drain", peer review in science and technology, organizational structures in science in Europe, research and innovation management, science ethics); cultural cooperation (particularly the interdisciplinary study on "Art Cities and Visitors Flow", science and technology for the conservation of the cultural heritage).

During the course of these ten years, UVO-ROSTE's interests and cooperation have expanded to include new fields of activities such as mathematics, physics, AIDS research and prevention, cryogenics, radio ecology, research after the Chernobyl catastrophe, ecohydrology, specific environmental projects related to Venice's Lagoon as well as cultural activities which promote UNESCO's objectives of the "Culture of Peace" such the UNESCO International School of "Science for Peace" located in Como, Italy. Some UNESCO Chairs in both the fields of science and culture, were also established in cooperation with various universities such as Venice, Rome, Moscow.

Many proceedings of UVO-ROSTE's significant international meetings and conferences such as "brain drain", energy, military conversion, "peer review", virology organized in Italy and throughout the European region have been published within a series of technical reports. Important documents such as the Genoa Declaration on Science and Society and Como Declaration on Science, Society and Ethics were published in a special format and under a special series known as "Science for Peace".

During these years UVO-ROSTE granted numerous study grants to young, researchers working abroad or in their countries of origin in the fields of biotechnology and virology.

Needless to say, that without the substantial support provided by the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) during the first six years of the implementation of ROSTE's project activities, the noteworthy successes and results achieved would not have been so encouraging. ROSTE's collaboration with the Italian CNR still continues today particularly within the UNESCO - CNR Agreement on AIDS Research and Prevention.

After the unification of the two UNESCO offices located in Venice (ROSTE and the Liaison Office for the Safeguarding of Venice (LO) under the umbrella of the UNESCO Venice Office (UVO), the scope of cultural activities of both offices has been substantially enlarged with particular emphasis placed on the application of science and technology to the preservation of cultural heritage.

In order to continue the fruitful cooperation between UNESCO and the Italian Government (through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs) a special agreement concerning ROSTE was elaborated by a group of experts headed by Prof. G. Salvini (Italy) in 1992-93. On the basis of the recommendations made by the group of experts, an agreement between UNESCO and the Italian Government concerning ROSTE was signed and forwarded to the Italian Parliament for ratification.

On 16 June 1997, the Italian Parliament approved and acknowledged this law which provides additional support for UVO-ROSTE's activities and programs within the European and the Mediterranean. This note of recognition is an incentive for UVO-ROSTE to continue to promote and collaborate more effectively with its many working partners throughout Europe.

As indicated in the Agreement, a new UVO-ROSTE Scientific Council and Steering Committee was created during 1998. The Steering Committee is presently composed of two representatives of UNESCO (Profs. M. Iaccarino and A. Forti) and two representatives of the Government of Italy (Profs. G. Marchesini - Chairperson and A. Marzollo) whose responsibility is to assure the appropriate functionning of UVO-ROSTE at all levels. Prof. A. Ruberti is also a member of the Steering Committee as well as Chairperson of the Scientific Council.

The new Scientific Council is currently composed of internationally renown scientists and cultural personalities such as G. de Bosio (Italy), V. Kostiouk (Russian Federation), I. Lang (Hungary), L. Montagnier (France), F. Nicolò (Italy), S. Nilsson (Sweden), A. Ruberti - Chairperson (Italy), H. Schopper (Germany), and M. Sela (Israel), whose major responsibility is to evaluate and provide scientific recommendations to the various projects and activities carried out by ROSTE.

A few meetings of the two advisory bodies of UVO-ROSTE took place during 1998 which elaborated recommendations on principle orientations of the Office's activities in 1999 which fully correspond to the major programmes of UNESCO as approved by the 29th session of the General Conference. Some important initiatives to be started in 2000-2001 have also been evaluated and launched.

As we are reaching the end of a century and preparing to enter into a new one, UVO-ROSTE can proudly look back on its history and look towards the future with great enthusiasm knowing that there exists many new possibilities and opportunities for establishing and creating new projects to be involved in and to sponsor.