The Conference addressed and involved national governments and institutions, educational and research establishments, members of the scientific community, the industrial sector, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international scientific non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as the media and the general public. All stakeholders with a vested interest in science and its role in societal development were welcome as active participants in the Conference process, although participation in the Conference itself was by invitation only. A special role was played by the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, and those governmental and non-governmental bodies directly concerned with the scientific enterprise. At the Conference, policy-makers, scientists and representatives of society in general together discussed the above issues and the means of increasing the commitment to, and from, science