Governments in all parts of the world and international organizations should help developing countries upgrade their research and application of technology, so as to enhance their capacity to realize sustainable development, a Chinese science official has suggested.

"Developing countries are in need of new technology to tackle such difficulties as lower economic levels, natural resource shortages and environmental pollution," Deng Nan, vice-minister of science and technology, said at a United Nations (UN) Forum for New and Emerging Technologies and Sustainable Development, which opened yesterday in Beijing.

China, in the process of industrialization, urbanization and modernization, faces challenges in the areas of population, natural resources and the environment.

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to taking these issues into account, while at the same time striving to reach its goals of developing the economy, reducing poverty and achieving prosperity, said Deng.

The UN forum was held to stimulate government, science and business sectors to work together to apply new technologies for sustainable development - a strategy put forward at the UN Congress on the Environment and Development in 1992 in Brazil. The strategy spells out ways to ensure global economic development in harmony with human beings and the environment.

The forum is an important preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which will take place in August in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In his welcoming speech at the forum, Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua said the Chinese Government is actively making commitments to protect the global environment.

Xu said China has made great efforts to use clean energy for industrial production, conserve land resources and minimize air pollution. The country's efficiency of energy utilization has been increased from 25 per cent in 1980 to 34 per cent.

Nitin Desai, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs and secretary-general of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, said new technologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology, are driving forces in the maintenance of sustainable development.

He stressed that new mechanisms are needed to enhance international scientific and technological co-operation, in order to better apply these technologies in promoting sustainable development.

Desai said China has made great progress in implementing sustainable development, especially in increasing its efficiency in the use of energy.

He agreed that industrialized nations should do more to speed up the transfer of technology to developing countries for the common goal of sustainable global development.