After a transparent and inclusive consultation process, the 193 member states of the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO started negotiating the final text of its ‘Recommendation on Open Science’ this month. This global standard-setting instrument, which seeks to close the gaps in science, technology and innovation within and between nations, will be adopted at the 41st UNESCO General Conference in November. The scientific community’s input continues to be crucial (see go.nature.com/3oatqrk).
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the unacceptable inequalities affecting access to scientific progress, knowledge and education. It has forced us to rethink how we produce, share and communicate scientific information. Universal access to science must be more inclusive, more collaborative and more interdisciplinary.
Although key to prosperity, peace and a healthy planet — all priorities for the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — open science still has no common definition or international policy framework. UNESCO’s recommendation aims to build a shared set of principles based on quality, integrity, collective benefit and diversity. It will support policymaking and investment in infrastructure, services, educational resources and capacity-building.
We must harness open science’s potential to meet societal needs and shape the future, backed by civil society, policymakers, young people and the scientific community.
