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:25 March 2024

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 prioritize 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.

Implementation Strategy

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. It was shared with UNESCO Member States and the Open Science Partnership 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:

UNESCO has also developed a Toolkit to support the implementation of the Recommendation.

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:

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.

Global repository of open science policies and policy instruments

Proposals for regional and thematic open science funding mechanisms and recommendations for revision of the current research careers assessments and evaluation criteria 

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…

Global monitoring framework for open science

You can join the group(s) you are interested in contributing to, by registering for the upcoming meetings or sending your request to openscience@unesco.org.

Open Science Steering Committee

The UNESCO Global Open Science Steering Committee is convened by the UNESCO Director-General to assist her in the implementation of the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.

The role of the Steering Committee is to identify key opportunities and challenges in the implementation of the Recommendation and to provide guidance and oversight of the progress made in each region of the world and by different open science actors.

Group I (Western European and North American States)

  • Ms Hanne Monclair
    Specialist Director, Department for Higher Education, Research and International Affairs, Ministry of Education and Research, Norway
  • Mr Yaşar Tonta
    Professor, Department of Information Management, Hacettepe University, Türkiye

Group II (Eastern European States)

  • Ms Jitka Dobbersteinová
    Support Manager, Department for Open Science, Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, Slovakia
  • Ms Nigar Babakhanova
    Associate Professor, Mahammad Fuzuli Institute of Manuscripts, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijan

Group III (Latin-American and Caribbean States)

  • Ms Ana María Cetto
    Researcher and Professor, Physics Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
  • Mr José Francisco Silva Garcés
    Specialist, University Hub for Innovation and Technology Transfer of Quito, Ecuador

Group IV (Asian and Pacific States)

  • Mr Jaime Carlos Montoya
    Executive Director, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, Department of Science and Technology, Philippines
  • Mr Akhilesh Gupta
    Senior Adviser and Head, Policy Coordination and Programme Management Division, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, India

Group Va (African States)

  • Mr Tshiamo Motshegwa
    Director, The African Open Science Platform (AOSP), South Africa
  • Mr Roger Ikor Glele Agboho
    First Counselor, Embassy of Benin in France, Benin

Group Vb (Arab States)

  • Ms Faten Yousef Al Jabsheh
    Division Director, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait
  • Mr Mouïn Hamzé
    Secretary General, National Council for Scientific Research, Lebanon

International experts

  • Ms Myrna Cunningham (Nicaragua)
    Chairperson of the Center for Autonomy and Development of Indigenous People (CADPI), and Vice-President of the Board of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous People Development Fund
  • Ms Justine Germo Nzweundji (Cameroon)
    Researcher at the Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies (IMPM), Deputy Head of the Laboratory of Botany and Traditional Medicine, and President of the Cameroon Academy of Young Scientists
  • Mr Joeli Veitayaki (Fiji)
    Associate Professor of Marine Studies at the School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Science of the University of the South Pacific

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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