Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South

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Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS)

Formation	4–5 October 1994
Founder	Abdus Salam
Type	Intergovernmental Organization
Headquarters	Islamabad, Pakistan
Membership	27
Executive Director	Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria
Website	comsats.org

The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) is an inter-governmental organization, having a membership of 27 developing countries from three continents, Latin America, Africa and Asia.^[1] Twenty-five S&T/R&D institutions of developing countries are affiliated with COMSATS as members of its Network of International S&T Centers of Excellence for Sustainable Development in the South. The organization aims at sustainable socio-economic uplift of the developing countries through scientific and technological means while adopting North–South and South–South cooperation.

H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of Republic of Ghana, is the incumbent Chairperson of COMSATS. The Secretariat of COMSATS, permanently located in Islamabad, Pakistan, is headed by an Exeutve Director, and supported by the grants from the Government of Pakistan. The current Executive Director of COMSATS is Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria.

COMSATS statutory bodies provide meaningful forms for international cooperation. The Commission comprises heads of States/ Governments of Member Countries, and the Consultative Committee comprises the national focal points in Member States, that are Ministries / Government Departments having the portfolio of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation. COMSATS' Network of International S&T Centres of Excellence is represented by the Coordinating Council, which comprises heads of affiliated Centres of Excellence and few ex-officio members. The network is also assisted by the Technical Advisory Committee (comprising senior scientists and technologists from the North and the South). The Coordinating Council elects its Chairperson from among its members. Currently, Prof. Dr. Ashraf Shalan, Former President, National Research Centre (NRC), Egypt is the Chairperson of COMSATS' Coordinating Council.