Introduction

The United Nations (UN) Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established to give the UN a tool to reflect upon problems of a global or universal nature, which frequently can only be solved by international collaboration, often with the participation of UN agencies or bodies. The emphasis on science and technology, including aspects relevant to energy resources and their development, has been reflected in some major conferences that UNITAR has organized jointly with other bodies. When the UN General Assembly decided in 1976 to convene a special world conference on science and technology for development before the end of the 1970s, UNITAR immediately developed an active interest in the preparations. UNITAR has placed great emphasis on studying a very basic aspect of capacity building, namely appropriate financial arrangements for the follow-up activities outlined in the Vienna Programme of Action. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.