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UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021)

Overview

The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science was adopted by UNESCO Member States in November 2021 at the 41st General Conference. It is the first international normative instrument on open science, providing a common definition, shared values, guiding principles, and areas of action for open science policy globally. As a UNESCO Recommendation (rather than a Convention), it is not legally binding but represents strong political commitment from 193 member states and provides a framework for national open science policy development.

The Recommendation directly influenced and aligns with Ouvrir la Science (France), EC Open Science Policy (EU), and other national open science plans.

Four Pillars

The Recommendation defines open science across four interconnected pillars:

1. Open Scientific Knowledge

  • Open access to scientific publications (preprints, OA journals, repositories).
  • Open research data aligned with FAIR principles and data sharing mandates.
  • Open educational resources, open source software, and open hardware for scientific instruments.

2. Open Science Infrastructures

  • Non-commercial, publicly owned infrastructure with long-term sustainability.
  • Interoperability and data standards for open repositories.
  • Multilingual and multicultural accessibility.

3. Open Engagement with Society

  • Citizen science, participatory research, and science communication.
  • Open science education for researchers and the broader public.

4. Open Dialogue with Other Knowledge Systems

  • Recognition of indigenous and traditional knowledge.
  • Inclusive open science that does not impose Western frameworks.
  • Epistemic diversity in scientific practices.

Key Definitions

The Recommendation defines open science as an inclusive construct combining various movements and practices aimed at making multilingual scientific knowledge openly available and reusable, increasing scientific collaborations and information sharing for the benefit of science and society, and opening the processes of scientific knowledge creation, evaluation, and communication to societal actors beyond the traditional scientific community.

Implementation

UNESCO monitors implementation through biennial reports from member states. The Global Open Science Conference is a regular ministerial-level meeting UNESCO convenes on open science implementation. France reports implementation via CoSO and the Barometre Science Ouverte.

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