DRAFT DECLARATION ON SCIENCE
AND THE USE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
REVISED VERSION 04/06/99
Preamble
1. We all live on the same planet and are part of the biosphere. We have come to recognize that we are in a situation of increasing interdependence, and that our future is intrinsically linked to the preservation of the global life-support systems and to the survival of all forms of life. The nations of the world are called upon to acknowledge the urgency of using knowledge from the natural and social sciences to address human needs and aspirations without indulging in its misuse. All cultures can contribute scientific knowledge of universal value. The sciences should be at the service of humanity as a whole, and should contribute to providing everyone with a deeper understanding of nature and society, a better quality of life and a resourceful and healthy environment for present and future generations.
2. Scientific knowledge has led to remarkable innovations that have been of great benefit to humankind. Life expectancy has strikingly increased, and cures have been discovered for many diseases. Agricultural output has risen significantly in many parts of the world to meet growing population needs. Technological developments and the use of new energy sources have created the opportunity for freeing humankind from arduous labour. They have also enabled the generation of an expanding and complex range of industrial products and processes. Technologies based on new methods of communication, information handling and computation have brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges for the scientific endeavour as well as for society at large. Steadily improving scientific knowledge on the origin, functions and evolution of the universe and of life provides humankind with conceptual and practical approaches that profoundly influence its conduct and prospects.
3. In addition to their demonstrable benefits, the applications of scientific advances have also led to environmental degradation and technological disasters, and have been a source of social imbalance or exclusion. Scientific and technological progress has made possible the construction of sophisticated weapons, including atomic, biological and chemical ones that have the potential to destroy life on a planetary scale. There is now an outstanding opportunity to divert resources that have been previously allocated to the development and manufacture of new weapons to sectors of social priority and to at least partially convert military production and research facilities to civilian use. The United Nations has proclaimed the Year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace as a step towards a lasting peace; the scientific community, together with other sectors of society, can and should play an essential role in this process.
4. Today, whilst unprecedented advances in the sciences are foreseen, there is need for a vigorous and informed democratic debate on the use of scientific knowledge. The scientific community and decision-makers should seek the strengthening of public trust and support for science through such a debate. Greater interdisciplinary efforts, involving both natural and social sciences, are a prerequisite for dealing with ethical, social, cultural, environmental, economic and health issues. Enhancing the role of science for a more equitable, prosperous and sustainable world requires a long-term commitment of all stakeholders, public and private, through greater investment and the sharing of scientific knowledge.
5. Most of the benefits of science are unevenly distributed, as a result of structural asymmetries among countries, regions and social groups. As scientific knowledge has become a crucial factor in the production of wealth, so its distribution has become more inequitable. What distinguishes the poor (be it people or countries) from the rich is not only that they have less assets, but also that they are largely excluded from the creation and the benefits of scientific knowledge.
6. We, participants in the World Conference on "Science for the Twenty-first Century: a New Commitment", assembled in Budapest, Hungary, from 26 June to 1 July 1999 under the aegis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Council for Science (ICSU):
7. Having recognized where the natural sciences stand today and where they are heading, what their social impact has been and what society expects from them,
8. Recognizing that science is a powerful resource for understanding natural and social phenomena, and that its role promises to be even greater in the future as the growing complexity of the relationship between society and the environment is better understood,
9. Recognizing further the ever-increasing need for scientific knowledge in public and private decision-making, including notably the influential role to be played by science in the formulation of policy and regulatory decisions,
10. Stressing that access to scientific knowledge from a very early age is part of the right to education belonging to all men and women, and that science education is essential for human development, for creating endogenous scientific capacity and for having active and informed citizens,
11. Considering that scientific research and its applications may yield significant returns towards sustainable human development, including poverty alleviation, and that the future of humankind will become more dependent on the equitable production, distribution and use of knowledge than ever before,
12. Taking into account the current process of globalization and the strategic role of scientific and technological knowledge within it,
13. Recognizing the urgent need to bridge the gap between the developing and developed countries in scientific capacity and infrastructure,
14. Convinced that the information and communication revolution offers new and more effective means of exchanging scientific knowledge and advancing education and research,
15. Considering the role played by the social sciences in the analysis of social transformations related to scientific and technological developments and the search for solutions to the problems generated in the process,
16. Taking into account the recommendations of major conferences convened by the organizations of the United Nations system and others, and of the meetings associated with the World Conference on Science,
17. Emphasizing that scientific research and the use of scientific knowledge should respect human rights and the dignity of human beings, in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the light of the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights,
18. Recognizing that some applications of science can be detrimental to society, the environment and human health, possibly even threatening the continuing existence of the human species, and that science should contribute to the cause of peace and development,
19. Emphasizing that scientists with other major actors have a special responsibility for seeking to avert the adverse applications of science,
20. Stressing the need to practice and apply the sciences in line with appropriate ethical requirements on the basis of an enhanced public debate,
Emphasizing that the pursuit of science and use of scientific knowledge should respect and maintain life in all its diversity, as well as the life-support systems of our planet,
Recognizing that there is a historical imbalance in the participation of men and women in all science-related activities,
23. Appreciating the importance of traditional and local knowledge systems as dynamic expressions of other ways of perceiving and understanding the world, and emphasizing the need to conserve this cultural and empirical heritage and to further explore its interface with science,
24. Considering that a new relationship between science and society is necessary to cope with such pressing problems as poverty, environmental degradation, inadequate public health, population growth, and food and water security,
25. Underlining the need for a strong commitment to science on the part of governments, civil society and the productive sector, as well as an equally strong commitment of scientists to the well-being of society,
proclaim the following:
1. Science for knowledge; knowledge for progress
26. The inherent function of the scientific endeavour is to carry out a comprehensive and thorough enquiry into nature and society leading to new knowledge. This new knowledge provides educational, cultural and intellectual enrichment and leads to social benefits and technological advances. Promoting fundamental and problem-oriented research is essential for achieving endogenous development and progress.
27. Governments, in acting as catalysts to facilitate interaction and communication between stakeholders, should give recognition to the key role of scientific research in the acquisition of knowledge, in the training of scientists and in the education of the public. Scientific research funded by the private sector has become a crucial factor for socio-economic development, but cannot be a substitute for public research. Both sectors should work in close collaboration and in a complementary manner in the financing of scientific research for long-term goals.
2. Science for peace
28. The essence of scientific thinking is the ability to examine problems from different perspectives and seek objective explanations of natural and social phenomena, constantly submitted to critical analysis. Science thus relies on critical and free thinking, which is essential in a democratic world. Scientists and decision-makers should uphold the principle of full and open access to information and data; scientific research should be subject to public accountability and ethical principles. The scientific community, sharing a long-standing tradition that transcends nations, religions or ethnicity, should promote, as stated in the constitution of UNESCO, the "intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind", which is the basis of a culture of peace. Worldwide cooperation among scientists is a valuable and constructive contribution to global security and to the development of peaceful interactions between different nations, societies and cultures.
29. Governments and society at large should be aware of the need to use natural and social sciences and technology as tools to address the root causes and impacts of conflict, such as disregard for human rights; lack of justice and democracy, intolerance, social inequalities and poverty; insufficient protection of minorities; interethnic tensions; inadequate education; hunger and malnutrition; environmental degradation, and competition for natural resources. Investment in scientific research which addresses these problems should be increased.
3. Science for development
30. Today, more than ever, there can be no development without science and its applications. Governments at all levels and the private sector should provide enhanced support for building up an adequate and well-shared scientific and technological capacity through appropriate education and research programmes as an indispensable foundation for economic, social, cultural and environmentally sound development. This is particularly urgent for developing countries. Technological development requires a solid scientific basis and needs to be resolutely directed towards less polluting production, greater efficiency in resource use and more environmentally friendly products. Science and technology should also be resolutely directed towards prospects for better employment and social justice. Investment in science and technology aimed at a better understanding and safeguarding of the planet’s natural resources base, biodiversity and life-support systems must be increased. The objective should be a move towards sustainable development strategies through the integration of economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions.
31. Science education without discrimination and encompassing all levels and modalities is a fundamental prerequisite for democracy and for ensuring sustainable development. In recent years, worldwide measures have been undertaken to promote basic education for all children, youth and adults. It is on this platform that science education, communication and popularization need to be built. It is more than ever necessary to develop and expand science literacy in all cultures and sectors of society as well as reasoning ability and skills and an appreciation of ethical values, so as to improve public participation in decision-making related to the application of new knowledge. Progress in science makes particularly important the role of national universities in the promotion and modernization of science teaching and its coordination at all levels of education. In all countries, and in particular the developing ones, there is a need to strengthen scientific research in higher education and postgraduate programmes, taking into account national priorities.
32. The building of scientific capacity should be supported by regional and international cooperation, to ensure both equitable development and the spread and utilization of human creativity without discrimination of any kind against countries, groups or individuals. There is a responsibility of the industrialized world to enhance partnership activities in science with developing countries. Establishing a critical mass in the sciences through regional and international cooperation is especially important for small states and least developed countries. The presence of scientific structures is an essential element for the training of personnel in their own country with a view to a subsequent career. Through these and other efforts favourable conditions should be created that will tend to reduce or reverse brain-drain. However, any measures should not restrict the free circulation of scientists.
33. Progress in science requires various types of cooperation at and between the intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental levels, such as: multilateral projects; research networks, including South-South networking; partnerships involving scientific communities of developed and developing countries; fellowships and grants to promote research; programmes to facilitate the exchange of knowledge; the development of centres of international recognition, particularly in developing countries; international agreements for the joint promotion, evaluation and funding of megaprojects and broad access to them; international panels for the scientific assessment of complex issues; and international arrangements for the promotion of postgraduate training. New initiatives are required for interdisciplinary collaboration. The international character of fundamental research should be strengthened by supporting long-term research and global research projects; support for international collaborative projects, especially if of global interest, should be significantly increased. Access to these facilities for scientists from developing countries should be actively supported and open to all based on scientific merit. The use of information and communication technology, particularly through networking, is to be expanded as a means to promote the free flow of knowledge.
34. National strategies and institutional arrangements should be set up or refurbished to enhance the role of sciences in sustainable development within the present context. In particular they should include: a long-term national policy on science to be developed together with the major public and private actors; support to science education and scientific research; the development of cooperation between R&D institutions, universities and industry as part of national innovation systems; the creation and maintenance of national institutions for risk assessment and management, safety and health; and incentives for investment, research and innovation. Parliaments and governments should be invited to provide a legal, institutional and economic basis for enhancing scientific and technological capacity in the public and private sectors and facilitate their interaction.
35. Intellectual property rights need to be appropriately protected on a global basis, recognizing that access to data and information are essential for undertaking scientific work and for translating the results of scientific research into tangible benefits for society. Measures should be taken to enhance the mutually supportive relationship between the protection of intellectual property rights and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. The further development of an appropriate international legal framework should take into account the specific requirements of developing countries and traditional knowledge, thus avoiding building new forms of knowledge monopolies.
4. Science in society and science for society
36. The practice of scientific research and the use of knowledge from that research should always aim at the welfare of humankind, men and women alike, be respectful of the dignity and rights of human beings, and of the global environment, and take fully into account our responsibility towards present and future generations. There should be a new commitment to these important principles by all parties concerned.
37. A free flow of information on all possible uses and consequences of new discoveries and newly developed technologies should be secured so that ethical issues can be debated in an appropriate way. In each country suitable measures should be established to address the ethics of the practice of science and of the use of scientific knowledge and its applications. These should include due process procedures for dealing with dissent and dissenters in a fair and responsive manner. The World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology of UNESCO can provide a means of interaction in this respect.
38. All scientists should commit themselves to high ethical standards, and a code of ethics based on relevant norms enshrined in international human rights instruments should be established for scientific professions. The social responsibility of scientists implies that they exert a rigorous quality control over their findings, share their knowledge, communicate with the public and educate the younger generation. Political authorities should respect such action by scientists. Science curricula should include science ethics, as well as training in history and philosophy and the cultural context of science.
39. Equality in access to science is not only a social and ethical requirement for human development, but also a necessity for realizing the full potential of scientific communities world-wide and to orient scientific progress towards meeting the needs of humankind. The difficulties encountered by women, constituting over half of the population in the world, in entering and pursuing a career in the sciences and in participating in decision-making in science and technology should be addressed urgently.
40. We, participants in the World Conference on "Science for the Twenty-first Century: a New Commitment", commit ourselves to make every effort to realize the possibility of promoting dialogue between the scientific community and society, to act cooperatively within our own spheres of responsibility, to strengthen scientific culture and its peaceful application throughout the world, and to promote the use of scientific knowledge for sustainable peace and development, taking into account the social and ethical principles illustrated above.
41. We consider that the Conference document Science Agenda - Framework for Action gives practical expression to a new commitment to science, and can serve as a strategic guide for partnership between all stakeholders in the scientific endeavour in the years to come.
42. We adopt therefore this Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge and agree upon the Science Agenda - Framework for Action as a means of achieving the goals set forth in the Declaration.
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