The rapidly evolving global order has affected the fundamental nature of the problem of poverty and, to a great extent, the possibility of realizing sustainable human development. The concern with technology transfer has now been superseded by a preoccupation with technology capacity-building. Moreover, the trend towards decentralization and democracy is widening and deepening the participation of the poor in the solution of their own problems, and is thus creating a better climate for linking the satisfaction of basic needs with human rights.
The fundamental objective of the mobilization of science and technology to meet basic needs should be to create conditions that increase the ability of the poor to gain access to, comprehend and use creatively knowledge and technology in order to satisfy their basic needs.