Implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science

The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 41st session, on 23 November 2021. The Recommendation affirms the importance of open science as a vital tool to improve the quality and accessibility of both scientific outputs and scientific process, to bridge the science, technology and innovation gaps between and within countries and to fulfill the human right of access to science.
Last update: June 23, 2022

With the adoption of this Recommendation, Member States have embraced the culture and practice of open science and agreed to report back every four years on their progress. They have also expressed their desire to keep the process of implementation of the Recommendation as inclusive, transparent and consultative as the process leading to its development.

Member States are encouraged to prioritise the following areas in their implementation of the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science:

  • Promoting a common understanding of open science and its associated benefits and challenges, as well as the diverse paths to open science
  • Developing an enabling policy environment for open science
  • Investing in infrastructure and services which contribute to open science
  • Investing in training, education, digital literacy and capacity-building, to enable researchers and other stakeholders to participate in open science
  • Fostering a culture of open science and aligning incentives for open science
  • Promoting innovative approaches to open science at different stages of the scientific process
  • Promoting international and multistakeholder cooperation in the context of open science with a view to reducing digital, technological and knowledge gaps.

The implementation strategy was designed by the UNESCO Secretariat to support Member States in the implementation of the Recommendation by mobilizing partners and open science actors within and beyond the scientific community, from local to international levels, to take actions to accomplish the key objectives of the Recommendation.

Presentation of the Implementation Strategy

The Implementation Strategy was shared with UNESCO Member States and the Open Science Partnership during an Online information meeting on Implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science on 28 April 2022.
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Presentation of the Recommendation

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Implementation strategy

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The Recommendation will be implemented through:

Open Science Working Groups

UNESCO convened 5 ad-hoc Working Groups focusing on key impact areas, bringing together experts and open science entities, organizations and institutions, according to their field of activity and expertise:

Working Group on Open Science Capacity Building
Collating information about available training modules on open science for different open science actors to map existing resources, identify the gaps and work to fill those gaps.

Working Group on Open Science Policies and Policy Instruments   
Global repository of open science policies and policy instruments

Working Group on Open Science Funding and Incentives    
Proposals for regional and thematic open science funding mechanisms and recommendations for revision of the current research careers assessments and evaluation criteria 

Working Group on Open Science Infrastructures     
Mapping and gaps analysis for international, regional and thematic open science platforms for sharing of knowledge and best practices. Specific focus will be on thematic platforms in UNESCO’s priority areas, including biodiversity, water, disaster risk reduction, geosciences, ocean sciences, climate change…

Working Group on Open Science Monitoring Framework    
Global monitoring framework for open science

 

You can join the group(s) you are interested in contributing to, by registering for the 1st meeting of the group(s). If you have missed the 1st meeting, please send your request to openscience@unesco.org.

Intersectoral Task Team

An interdivisional and intersectoral Task Team on Open Science is providing the necessary oversight and guidance reflecting the perspectives and contributions of all divisions of the Natural Sciences Sector and other sectors of UNESCO taking into account expertise in education, culture, social and human sciences, communication and information.

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