Abstract

Unfortunately, this event has been cancelled due to Covid-19 – we hope to reschedule in the future, so check our website for more details.

The Right to Science and the 2017 UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers

gloknos is delighted to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers involved in furthering our understanding of the Right to Science and its implementation as a universal right. This event is in collaboration with Prof Helle Porsdam, UNESCO Chair in Cultural Rights at the University of Copenhagen.

We all have a human right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress (the Right to Science [RtS]). The right has its origins in Article 27 of the United Nation’s 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted in the wake of World War II. In 1966, the UN turned these commitments into binding obligations under international law. The implication is that, just as governments are expected to respect the rights to, say, freedom of speech and due process, so they must also adopt measures to respect and ensure the RtS. The existence of this right is important for researchers and society. It adds a legal and moral dimension to a range of fundamental issues, including scientific freedom, funding, and policy, as well as access to data, materials, and knowledge. Yet, despite its potential for furthering science and human rights causes, the RtS has not received the attention it deserves.

gloknos is initially funded for 5 years by the European Research Council through a Consolidator Grant awarded to Dr Inanna Hamati-Ataya for her project ARTEFACT (2017-2022) ERC grant no. 724451.