We, civil society organizations from the following countries in Africa: South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mali, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Benin, meeting in Cape Town South Africa from 30th Nov – 4th December 2002, having deliberated the nature and impact of converging technologies at the nano-scale, specifically nanotechnology/ atomtechnology, transgenic technology, digital information technology, human enhancement technologies, cognition technologies and genomics hereby note the following:

• We affirm that these technologies should not proceed without the application of the precautionary principle.
• We should not be seeking to define and solve our problems at the atomic scale but at the societal and cultural scale.
• We oppose the reduction of life and matter to genes and atoms. We celebrate its diversity and complexity.
• We call for a global moratorium on nanotechnology/ atomtechnology, transgenic technology, cognition manipulation, bionic human enhancement and genomics until these technologies are proven safe. They must undergo a full social, economic, environmental and health assessment with consideration of security and the effect on all communities. This requires explicit democratic consent.
• In the case of nanotechnology/ atomtechnology such a moratorium must include a halt on laboratory use subject to agreed laboratory protocols.
• We demand No Patents on life or the building blocks of matter, whether natural or modified. We completely condemn the extension of the Humane genome diversity project through the HAPMAP project and are alarmed that this has been taken further into Africa. It is anathema to our cultural values and must be stopped. We call on African governments, institutions and individuals not to collaborate with or legitimize this initiative.
• We need to build, support and enhance culturally responsible science and technology for Africa that supports social justice and builds environmental sustainability. This must be accessible in all ways and supported for Africans of all genders, occupations, age, cultures and abilities including those from poor communities.
• We recognize and affirm indigenous knowledge, technologies and languages and the need to halt and reverse their further erosion by converging technologies and corporate concentration.
• We demand full and sincere disclosure of all information related to these new technologies. Those involved with these technologies are obliged to ensure transparency.
• These emerging technologies should not be used to replace full corporate responsibility and liability for previous technologies and behaviours.
• African nations have a sovereign right to reject the imposition of these new technologies, In particular we call upon others to support the principled stand of Zambian Government not to allow its citizens and future to be endangered by genetically engineered crops.
• Recognising the impact of these new technologies on all genders, abilities, occupations, cultures, ages and the poor, as part of civil society we affirm as a principle the demand of Disabled Peoples International “nothing about us without us”. We recognize that all have a right to define themselves and nobody has the right to define the “normal” state of being human.
• We will try to involve the disability rights movements in all activities we organize and hold such events in places with access. We will ask the organizers of activities we attend to do likewise.
• We strongly condemn international bodies such as WHO and CGIAR for refusing to protect people and the environment from the risks of transgenic crops and transgenic contamination of the worlds genetic diversity. We support and commend the NGO committee of CGIAR for deciding to freeze relations with CGIAR. These institutions should respect the precautionary principle rather than inverting the burden of proof.
• We call on African governments to resist allowing cultural erosion of African values, environment, traditions and institutions by corporations and undemocratic institutions in exchange for dangerous technologies.
• We are grateful for the progressive initiatives regarding these new technologies from by civil Society organizations. We call for continued African civil society exploration of the impacts of these technologies issues and express concern that neither our governments nor those developing these technologies have invited or involved public oversight. We resolve to exercise it anyway.
• We demand the implementation of the content related to disabled people of the UNESCO World Conference on Sciences documents. We will also try to involve the disability rights movements in all activities we organize and hold such events in places with access. We will ask the organizers of activities we take part in to do likewise.