The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science have been unanimously ratified at UNESCO’s 41st General Conference. This landmark document is a major step forward towards creating a world in which better sharing of science is open and inclusive by design. As Creative Commons says "open access to knowledge is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition to solving big, complex problems. Better sharing of scientific articles, data and science educational resources is a necessary condition to make progress on solving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the global grand challenges we face today."
The Recommendation sets an international standard for the definition of open science and associated policies and practices to drive better sharing throughout the global science community. It details seven broad areas for action:
- Promoting a common understanding of open science and its benefits and challenges, as well as diverse paths to open science
- Developing and enabling a policy environment for open science
- Investing in open science infrastructures and services
- Investing in human resources, training, education, digital literacy and capacity building
- Fostering a culture of open science and aligning incentives
- Promoting innovative approaches for open science across the scientific process
- Promoting cooperation in the context of open science to reduce digital, technological and knowledge gaps
For The Recommendation on Open Science website provides details on the multi-stakeholder consultations, the open science advisory committee, and the UNESCO global open science partnership
Creative Commons goes on to say "adopting the Recommendation for Open Science is just the first step. The real work is in the implementation of the actions. Broad implementation success will require governments to: prioritize this work, partner with international NGOs and other stakeholders working in open science, and work with and learn from other governments."
