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To actualize the vision based on the above concepts, the four principles set forth below will govern the management of S&T policies. These principles will ensure that the nation's S&T polic ies are promoted with a broad perspective and strategic procedures.

(1) New forms of S&T that support human living and form a basis for industrial competitiveness s hould be further developed. At the same time, the nation should take a comprehensive, panoramic view of S&T to develop it in harmony with model scenarios for human society in the 21st century. It is very important that the CSTP, a body newly inaugurated at the start of the 21st century, engages in discussions on S&T that integrate natural S&T with the social sciences and humanities.

(2) S&T is an inexhaustible intellectual resource whose promotion might well be regarded as an i nvestment toward the future. To form the foundations for a knowledge-based nation, Japan should conti nuously invest in basic research based upon strict evaluations. The nation should strategically const ruct a dynamic circulative system in which high-quality results in basic research and prioritized are as are rapidly applied to social and industrial activities, thereby attracting further investment.

(3) In complicated modern societies supported by highly advanced S&T, we now see occasional inst ances where the inappropriate use and management of S&T may pose risks to people's lives and physical safety. To reconcile this Janus-faced aspect of S&T, it is useful to cultivate the conc ept of "S&T for and in society," as a basis for communication between S&T and socie ty. Meanwhile, the technologists who work with S&T should heed their responsibilities to society and human beings, observing high ethical standards in their technical endeavors.

(4) To achieve the intellectual innovations expected in the 21st century for social and industrial a ctivities and the symbiosis of human beings and nature, the CSTP should liken its role to a control t ower, directing comprehensive and strategic policies. To achieve this, the council will demonstrate p oints of well-planned investment in prioritized areas, maintenance of R&D infrastructures, strict evaluation, and effective and efficient resource allocation. The council will also place importance on the observation and treatment of negative S&T influences.