The COVID-19 pandemic has proven how Open Science can accelerate scientific solutions for global challenges. Soon after it was discovered, the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was posted in an open access repository and made freely available for all researchers. Scientists have been sharing the results of their research in open access journals and open data repositories, enabling international cooperation for the development of vaccines and treatments.
However, there is currently no international framework nor common policy guidance for Open Science in place. UNESCO, the United Nations Agency with the mandate for Science for Sustainable Development has been entrusted with the responsibility for the development of an international standard-setting instrument on Open Science in the form of a UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.
To advance the Open Science discussion in the global context and to develop the Recommendation, it is important to take stock of the different regional perspectives around the world.
Against this background, the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean convened the online roundtable discussion on “How can Open Science be promoted in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean?” on September 21. The event brought together Caribbean science experts and other stakeholders to share their ideas and views to feed into UNESCO’s Regional Consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean on the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, held on September 23, 2020. Both events are part of a series of regional consultations led by UNESCO, aimed at building a global consensus on Open Science.
Speakers of the Caribbean roundtable discussion included: Dr. Ishenkumba Kahwa, Professor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica; Dr. Winston Mellowes, President of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS); Dr. Cliff Riley, Executive Director, Jamaica’s Scientific Research Council (SRC); Dr. Lila Rao-Graham, Deputy Executive Director, UWI Mona School of Business and Management; Dr. Harold Ramkissoon, President Emeritus, CARISCIENCE; and Nikita Shiel-Rolle. Chief Executive Office of the Cat Island Conservation Institute (CICI), The Bahamas.
UNESCO’s speakers in the event included: Saadia Sanchez Vegas, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean; Ana Persic, Senior Programme Specialist of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building (PCB), at the Headquarters in Paris; and Massimiliano Lombardo, Programme Specialist for Natural Sciences of the Cluster Office for the Caribbean, who moderated the roundtable discussion.
Open Science is a movement aiming to make science more open, accessible, efficient, democratic and transparent. This allows scientific information, data and outputs to be more widely accessible (Open Access) and more reliably harnessed (Open Data) with the active engagement of all relevant stakeholders (Open to Society).
In her opening remarks, Saadia Sanchez highlighted that despite many advancements of Open Science, we can still see many examples of “Closed Science”. Many researchers around the world fear that others could steal their data and publish it under their name, when they disclose their data openly. Commercial interests prevent the large-scale development of open source software. The refusal of pharmaceutical corporations to lower the prices uphold the patients of their products, the development of vaccines and medicines that could treat and cure deadly diseases.
Open Science now being used in the context of the coronavirus-pandemic, accelerates the exchange of knowledge and data between scientists, researchers, governments and international organizations to explore life-saving options and vaccines. In this context, Open Science is the crucial dimension in the race against time which decides between life and death
In his presentation, Dr. Ishenkumba Kahwa presented facts and figures about the current status of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) development in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean. According to Dr. Kahwa, the growing cost of natural disasters in the region set the stage for bold collective initiatives in areas such climate resilience and green innovation, which can attract support from international donors. He shared data that show a growing research output in the Caribbean, especially as regards public health areas. However, he commented that this is not enough to prepare Caribbean societies to benefit from the digital and green economies of tomorrow.
Ana Persic highlighted the need to promote Open Science in the regional context and adapt it to the local needs. “Open Science is a movement to share information on science from society to science and from scientists to society. [LM1] Open Science has a huge potential, but it has to be done right - In a just and fair way for everyone involved”
Lila Rao-Graham reiterated the importance of embedding Open Science into regional perspectives and stressed the need for regional collaboration. She shared the example of the Knowledge Broker project carried out by the UWI Mona School of Business and Management. Having identified natural disasters such as hurricanes as one of the regional challenges of the Caribbean Small Island Developing States, there are many approaches to comprehensive disaster management (CDM), in the region. However, these approaches and initiatives are often not shared enough throughout the region, among relevant institutions and important disaster management stakeholders. “We have to know what others are doing. Sometimes we don’t know it and thus we don’t know how we can collaborate to close the open gaps in knowledge among countries, institutions and people”.
As a response to this identified problem, using an open source technology, the project created a shared vocabulary for CDM, based on open access technologies.
I believe it is important to bring our citizen in the Caribbean closer to science. Science needs to be at the foundation of how we move forward in the Caribbean SIDS
Often the link between what it means and the connections to the people is missing. By ensuring science can benefit all people in the communities, our science has to be easily accessible and understandable to inform us how it can develop and strengthen our communities. “We have to be educating our people, so they can actively engage in discussion on science and Open Science” stressed Nikita Shiel-Rolle, CEO, Cat Island Conservation Institute (CICI), The Bahamas.
Dr. Cliff Riley, SRC, Jamaica raised the point of including the discussion of ethics within the Open Science. “Ethics have to be formulated in order to have a just and equal usage of the shared knowledge.” He added “Open Science needs to strengthen indigenous peoples and indigenous science, they have a major impact on how we move forward”.
Professor Harold Ramkissoon, CARISCIENCE, congratulated UNESCO on this initiative, which enables to build a platform for Open Science in the Caribbean region. “We have to invest in our STI. The recommended amount is 1%of the GDP, but we are not there. Once we do that, we have to talk about strengthened regional cooperation. UNESCO should be the vehicle to facilitate regional cooperation”.
Open Science can help us curb many global issues such as climate change and the covid-19 pandemic, through the wider access and dissemination of science
In his closing remarks, Massimiliano Lombardo, Programme Specialist for Natural Sciences, UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, emphasized the need to increase and improve international cooperation on STI among Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and to share the benefits of STI development in a fair an equal manner to all. He also highlighted the importance of enabling knowledge sharing with local, traditional and indigenous communities, which is often challenging, but key for tackling climate change and improving the overall resilience capacities.
The virtual roundtable in the Caribbean was held to promote the sharing of relevant ideas and views to feed into UNESCO’s Regional Consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean on the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, held on September 23, 2020. Both Consultations are part of a series of regional consultations aimed at building a global consensus on Open Science.