The First meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators, takes place in Maputo, Mozambique, from 18-20 September 2006. Paragraph 13 of the resolutions of the second session of the African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST) establishes an inter-governmental committee comprising of relevant national authorities to develop, adopt and use common indicators to survey and prepare an African Science, Technology and Innovation (ASTI) report/outlook. The sixth meeting of the AMCOST Steering Committee (21-26 March 2006) resolved that ways and means should be explored to ensure that existing appropriate international indicators are adopted and used to survey science, technology and in innovation in Africa. The terms of reference of the intergovernmental committee stipulate that it shall:

1. consider and agree on specific science, technology and innovation definitions, methodologies and indicators;

2. design and adopt modalities and work-plan for preparing the African Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook;

3. promote sharing of experiences and information on national science, technology and innovation surveys;

4. develop comprehensive African manuals for science, technology and innovation indicators;

5. consider and agree on modalities for establishing and governing an appropriate science, technology and innovation observatory;

6. participate in international committees and/or processes on science, technology and innovation indicators; and

7. review national surveys and propose common policies for promoting science, technology and innovation activities.