In today's increasingly interconnected world, people from all continents and backgrounds are able to exchange ideas and broaden their horizons. This is the most immediately visible impact of globalization, but not the only one. Globalization will have far-reaching consequences for all areas of human endeavour – including science and technology and their impact consequences for impact has been and continues to be unequal. For some – individuals and countries alike – it has meant opportunity for advancement. However, for others globalization has meant exposure to increased competition, marginalization and impoverishment. The challenge is to harness the processes of globalization, learn from them, and adapt best practices so as to reinforce the benefit coal aspects of globalization while mitigating its negative effects. Advances in scientific c knowledge and its technological applications are potent drivers of globalization. Equally, globalization strongly info fences the ways in which scientific c knowledge and new technologies are produced, put to use and disseminated. Indeed, research and development agendas are defi ned not only by local or national needs, but also by the requirements of the global marketplace. Both access to and creation of knowledge have become crucial factors for social and economic development in today's globalized world. The International Conference on "Globalization: Challenges and Opportunities for Science and Technology" was jointly organized by UNESCO and the United Nations University, (UNU), on 23-24 August 2006, in Yokohama, Japan. It was the fourth opportunity, in what has now become an annual event, for our two organizations to join forces and collectively brainstorm on the challenges and opportunities of globalization – this time to deal specific call with questions relative to science and technology. UNESCO and UNU are well placed, as multilateral agencies involved in education and science, to address these issues. Working in synergy with UNU – who's objective is to generate and transfer knowledge– demonstrates one of the many ways that UNESCO works "as one" with sister organizations within the UN system to increase the knowledge base at the disposal of our Member States. This conference brought together decision-makers, academics, members of government, and leaders from various facets of civil society to discuss ways in which to better, and more directly, harness scientific c and technological progress for the promotion of peace and sustainable development. The large number of participants, hailing from many reinsure acted the importance science and technology has taken on in the international agenda. The Conference explored salient issues such as access to knowledge and benefit t sharing, the scope of intellectual property protection, and the ethical boundaries of scientific c enquiry. At the centre of the discussions was the creation of knowledge societies in which science and technology are neither the sole realm of academics nor the preserve of an elite segment of society enjoying a privileged access to the benefit to and products of scientific achievement. Rather, these knowledge societies should utilize the processes of globalization to foster knowledge creation, sharing and diffusion for the benefit t of all. It is in this spirit that I am pleased to present the record of this highly successful two-day Conference. I hope this publication will help stimulate a broader debate about the challenges and opportunities inherent in this area. Properly harnessing science, technology and globalization for the benefit t of all is an essential step towards achieving a sustainable and peaceful world. [UNU website].

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