The main objectives of the Research Committee 35 on Development and Technology are:

  • To identify broad political, administrative and policy strategies related to technology transfer and environmentally sound sustainable development.
  • To analyze policy options available to nation states and international organizations on global, trans-boundary, and domestic issues particularly related to technological changes and environmental challenges.
  • To examine ethical, cultural, legal, political, institutional, administrative, scientific and technological frameworks which underlie and shape the human dimension of global change.
  • To foster a global network of political scientists and others to engage in interdisciplinary research in the dynamics of human interactions with science and technology, with particular emphasis on the North-South (including countries belonging to the former Soviet Block) dialogue in the context of global cooperation and 
  • To provide a comparative perspective to such issues (including case studies) as sustainable development, managing the environment, technology transfer, Global Environmental Facility, role multilateral/  international aid agencies, and the NGOs.

In addition, the Research Committee deals, specifically with the following subjects: transfer of technology from North to South, the issue of intellectual property rights, cultural determinants of technology transfer, capacity-building in the South towards technological self-sufficiency, environmental and sustainable development policies and programs, global environmental crises, technology/trade and the environment, environmental sustainability and stewardship, ethics of technology transfer and the environment, international agreements on biodiversity or forestry or waste management, and international cooperation for enhancing institutional and organizational effectiveness relating to Technology & Development in the developing nations.