Science is a crucial tool for advancing progress on the 2030 Agenda and achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is recognized in the 2030 Agenda which calls for the establishment of a technology facilitation mechanism to advance science, technology, and innovation for the SDGs, including through knowledge-sharing in open access, online platforms.
UNESCO has identified that 70% of all humans live in countries with weak science systems; the knowledge needed to transform innovation systems around the world cannot be accessed. As highlighted in the UN Open Science Conference, Open Science can be a major contributor in closing this gap and expanding global knowledge. Open Science has the potential to be not just an accelerator of knowledge and innovation, but recovery, resilience, and inclusive sustainable development.
The United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library and UNESCO hosted a virtual panel addressing mechanisms towards an equitable scholarly publishing ecosystems for the SDGs and beyond. In this session, attendees heard concrete recommendations from experts for generating greater access to scientific knowledge in service of the SDGs and the need for a Global Science Commons.
The discussion was presented as a side-event during one of the most important 2-day global forums the United Nations delivers annually, the 8th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Panelists:
- Dr. Virginia Barbour, Director, Open Access Australasia
- Dr. Chris Bourg, Director of Libraries, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Dr. Tshiamo Motshegwa, Director, African Open Science Platform (AOSP)
- Dr. Ana Persic, Program Specialist, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Mr. Thanos Giannakopoulos, Chief Librarian, UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library
Moderator: Mx. Meg Wacha, Scholarly Communications Officer, UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library
The event took place on 2 May 2023 from 10:00a.m. - 11:30a.m. ET (New York Time).