Mudenda in Geneva, highlights importance of societal progress

SPEAKER of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, who is in Geneva, Switzerland, attending the 149th Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly has emphasised the importance of enhancing interconnectivity of science, technology and innovation in propelling societal advancement through the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly in developing African countries.

Adv Mudenda said science, technology and innovation play a key role in shaping the trajectory of progress and development in any society.

In his address yesterday, Adv Mudenda highlighted the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a key driver of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Science, technology and innovation are interconnected fields that drive progress and development in society through the Fourth Industrial Revolution powered by Artificial Intelligence,” he stated.

**Advocate Jacob Mudenda delivers his speech at the Inter- Parliamentary Union Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland**

“Science aims to comprehend the natural world, technology applies this understanding for humanistic benefit and innovation leverages this knowledge to create value in socio-economic development.”
Running under the theme: “Harnessing science, technology and innovation (STI) for a more peaceful and sustainable future”, Adv Mudenda said it is of profound and of enduring significance in addressing naked inequalities between developed and developing countries of the Global North and the Global South respectively.

He said accordingly, IPU Parliaments are enjoined to robustly deploy science, technology and innovation anchored on the application of AI in its multifaceted architecture.
“Currently, science, technology and innovation are connected fields that drive progress and development in society through the Fourth Industrial Revolution driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI),” said Adv Mudenda.

“Science seeks to understand the natural world, technology applies that understanding by humanity for humanistic practical benefits and innovation uses both to create value in our socio-economic development,” he added.

Adv Mudenda recalled how Zimbabwe last year launched the Information Communication Technology Policy and the National Digital Technologies Strategy in response to harnessing science, technology and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future for the country.

“These efforts have been bolstered by the transformational educational curricular review in the past five years dubbed “Education 5.0” underpinned by science, technology and innovation deployment resulting in the creation of industrial and innovation hubs for the accelerated modernisation and industrialisation of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“Accordingly, the Zimbabwe Parliament has enacted a law enabling all our tertiary institutions to be centres of industrial and innovation hubs of excellence driven by the application of Artificial Intelligence.”
Adv Mudenda said the country has since established the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZNGSA) whose mandate is to develop digital infrastructure for precision agriculture, weather forecasting and climate adaptation in order to secure national food sovereignty.

“Additionally, the Agricultural Research Council and the National Biotechnology Authority have successfully driven innovations in areas like drought-resistant crop varieties, livestock disease diagnostics and renewable energy technologies for a sustainable future of Zimbabwe,” said Adv Mudenda.
He said while the application of STI as driven by AI has the boundless potential to propel humanity into unparalleled development, it may have negative consequences.

“Notably, the potential misuse of AI for malicious misinformation, disinformation and character assassination through deep fake and pornography as well as in warfare purposes is a concern that cannot be ignored,” said Adv Mudenda.

“That is why the Parliament of Zimbabwe has resolved to establish the committee of the future to map out strategies for the next 50 years on how the harnessing of science, technology and innovation as anchored on Artificial Intelligence can best be deployed for the maximum benefit of Zimbabwe.”
He commended the IPU for establishing the Charter on the ethics of science and technology to ensure that the development and deployment of science, technology and innovation is undertaken responsibly, ethically and sustainably in the spirit of peaceful human co-existence.

“I, therefore, plead for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and some parts of Africa, especially in Sudan and the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Lessons from the devastating ravages of World War One and Two vividly must remind us that war can never end war but dialogue around a round table conference,” said Adv Mudenda.
His insightful remarks shed light on the intricate relationship between these domains and their profound impact on the global landscape.

As the world navigates through the complexities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Adv Mudenda’s message serves as a guiding beacon for policymakers, researchers, and leaders worldwide. His call to harness the potential of science, technology and innovation underscores the necessity of continuous evolution and adaptation in an era defined by rapid technological progress.