Draft Motion
Synchrotron light sources are the most transformational science facilities known. They involve accelerating electrons to near the speed of light, bending their trajectories using magnetic fields (usually by permanent magnets) which leads to emission of radiation (light). That light is then used to probe materials either by diffraction, scattering, imaging, microscopy, tomography, or spectroscopy. In the end, synchrotron light sources allow scientists and engineers to understand the structure and dynamics of matter on sub-microscopic down to atomic level, and that invariably leads to new knowledge, new products, new industries, and new jobs.
Synchrotron light sources are large facilities, supporting multiple fields from anthropology to biophysics, materials science, and zoology. They take committed national or multi-national investments -in the hundreds of millions of US dollars- to build and operate.
There are ~50 such facilities worldwide, but Africa is the only habitable continent without one. That is a symptom and cause of Africa’s economic and social ills.
The African Light Source Foundation is the key organization of a community of dedicated experts progressing a Roadmap in this space. It has reached milestones on this Roadmap and gained much momentum and profile for this vision. Many other African National, Pan African and external organizations have likewise dedicated their efforts coherently as partners in this grand plan. There must be a deep, long-term sustainable programme throughout the continent of building the user base; growing human capacity; broadening the catalytic local, national and regional research infrastructures; developing intra-African science diplomacy; and raising the profile of this scientific and innovation powerhouse amongst all stakeholders on the single decade time-scale.
In much the same way that colleagues have come together to drive the roadmap towards an African synchrotron light source, there is a similar effort to locate one in the Greater Caribbean region. There needs to be a synchrotron light source facility in the Greater Caribbean to respond to Latin American and Caribbean science priorities. A synchrotron in the Greater Caribbean region would be aligned with the goals of United Nations Sustainable Global Development Agenda, which, for many countries in the region, can tackle head on their major social, economic, and political challenges, and would be a catalyst for greater regional integration, particularly among the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
The African Light Source Foundation, the Greater Caribbean Light Source, along with the Mexican Society of Synchrotron Light (Sociedad Mexicana de Luz Sincrotrón) have forged a tripartite partnership to share concepts, technical information, training opportunities, and political strategies towards the realization of synchrotron light sources in Africa and the Greater Caribbean Region, respectively.
The issues of building a Greater Caribbean and African light source are virtually the same, training of to-be staff and users, ensuring sustainable financing, possibility of international financial support and role of international cooperation. Some of these efforts toward either or both may foster interregional South-South cooperation, for which. SESAME and LNLS can play a major role for training, and a synergy between the two initiatives may strengthen the case for the political support from UN Agencies, for negotiations with international agencies. Moreover, the success of the two initiatives may favor scientific collaboration between Africa and the Greater Caribbean and the development of the two scientific communities, according to their medium and long-term plans and priorities.
Hence the Executive Board of UNESCO is kindly requested to:
“take a decision to promote the establishments of the two synchrotrons under the auspices of UNESCO, as operationally autonomous centers taking into consideration the Draft Agreement and having as model and precedent of the work already carried out by UNESCO in the establishment of SESAME.
The UNESCO Executive Board,
- Having examined document “xxx”
- Considering that Synchrotron Light Source Facilities are vital to address regional challenges in areas of sustainable development such as energy, health and climate change;
- Stressing that Synchrotron Light Source Facilities are important for economic advancement in the region;
- Noting UNESCO’s commitment to small island capacity building and recent initiatives of UNESCO’s capacity-building programmes in science and technology in the LATAM/Caribbean and in Africa
- Recognizing that it is vital to ensure that existing gains from previous UNESCO initiatives in science and education in the Great Caribbean and Africa are effectively strengthened
- Also recognizing the commitment of UNESCO and its Member States to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
- Decides to:
- welcome and endorse the recommendation to support the establishment in the LATAM/Great Caribbean and in Africa two Light Source Facilities under the aegis of UNESCO;
- include this item into the agenda of the 42nd session of the General Conference;
- recommend that the General Conference at its 42nd session adopts a resolution in this regard;
- invite the Director General to support all efforts leading to the establishment of the mentioned facilities under the aegis of UNESCO
8. Encourages all official UNESCO organizations, institutes and centres, especially but not limited to the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), as well as all affiliates, especially but not limited to the International Science Council (ISC) and its adhering organizations, to build programs and activities to support this resolution and its ultimate objectives.
The UNESCO General Conference Assembly
- Considering that Synchrotron Light Source Facilities are vital to address regional challenges in areas of sustainable development such as energy, health and climate change;
- Stressing that Synchrotron Light Source Facilities are important for economic advancement in the region;
- Considering the existence of several project aimed to make Synchrotron technology available to regions where they are scarce or absent
- Considering that in Africa there are no such a device,, that in Latin America there is only one in the Southern Cone and that in the Middle East, the SESAME synchrotron should enhance its capacity of serving the region
- Considering the existence of an African project supported by Ghana and other countries
- Considering the existence of a project promoted by the scientific community of the region to establish a second Latin American synchrotron in the Greater Caribbean
- Considering the request of country XXX supported by YYY.. to strengthen the scientific capacity of the South by promoting the establishments of two synchrotrons, in Africa and the Gra¿eater Caribbean, respectively, and of promoting the enhancement of SESAME’s scope
- Noting UNESCO’s commitment to small island capacity building and recent initiatives of UNESCO’s capacity-building programmes in science and technology in the LATAM/Caribbean and in Africa
- Recognizing that it is vital to ensure that existing gains from previous UNESCO initiatives in science and education in the Great Caribbean and Af and trica are effectively strengthened
- Also recognizing the commitment of UNESCO and its Member States to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
- Welcome and endorses the recommendation to support the establishment in the Greater Caribbean and in Africa two Light Source Facilities, and to enhance the support to SESAME
- Invite the Director General to support all efforts leading to the establishment of the mentioned facilities
- Encourages all official UNESCO organizations, institutes and centres, especially but not limited to the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), as well as all affiliates, especially but not limited to the International Science Council (ISC) and its adhering organizations, to build programs and activities to support this resolution and its ultimate objectives.