Scientific knowledge, data and expertise must be universally accessible, and their benefits must be universally shared. The practice of science must be inclusive and equitable, also in opportunities for scientific education and capacity development.
The mission of the ISC is to act as the global voice for science. As part of that mission, the ISC:
- Speaks for the value of all science and evidence-informed decision-making;
- Stimulates and supports international scientific research and scholarship on major issues of global concern;
- Articulates scientific knowledge on such issues in the public domain;
- Promotes the continued and equal advancement of scientific rigour, creativity and relevance in all parts of the world;
- Defends the free and responsible practice of science.
Science as a global public good
Science is one of the most powerful global public goods: a source of beneficial and applicable knowledge that is freely available and accessible worldwide, and can be used by anyone, anywhere, without preventing or impeding its use by others.
Societies worldwide have faced complex, urgent challenges throughout 2021: increasingly dangerous climate change, the ‘long tail’ of the COVID-19 pandemic and sweeping technological change.
Against this backdrop, the ISC published a position paper that expanded on its vision of science as a global public good, and the implications of that vision for how science is conducted and used, and the roles that science plays in society. The paper provides a foundation to inform all of the ISC’s activities to support and maintain ethical practice in science, and to advance science that responds to the needs of society.
The paper is also available in translation.
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