Launch of global consultation: Developing data policies for crisis facilitated by open science

As the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent disasters and geopolitical conflicts have revealed, deficiencies in the capacity of science to integrate data readily and efficiently into crisis preparation, response, and recovery policy and actions significantly limit the capacity of scientists and policymakers to have full information.

UNESCO has partnered with the Committee on Data (CODATA) of the International Science Council (ISC) to explore how the principles of open science as outlined in the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science could guide efficient and effective policies for data sharing in times of crisis taking into account existing international policies and action frameworks.

The UNESCO-CODATA Data Policy for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science (DPTC) project aims at developing guidance and tools for data policy required to address crises within the framework of the UNESCO Open Science Recommendation. The DPTC’s work is designed to contribute to the UNESCO Open Science Toolkit.

Comprising a factsheet, a guidance document, and a checklist for data policies for times of crisis facilitated by open science, these resources are intended to assist policymakers, scientists and other stakeholders to design the most efficient data policies for times of crisis not only addressing immediate response needs but also preparedness and long-term recovery.

The International Science Council (ISC) was involved in the process and the ISC paper on Protecting Science in Times of Crisis has been an influential reference point.

Share your inputs and comments

UNESCO and CODATA are inviting all interested stakeholders to review and provide feedback as well as sharing comments and other inputs to the following three documents:

• Factsheet for developing data policies for times of crisis facilitated by open science
• Guidance for the development of data policies for times of crisis facilitated by open science
• Checklist for developing data policies for times of crisis facilitated by open science

Share your feedback by downloading the PDFs and commenting directly on the PDFs or as text, and emailing it to [email protected].

The deadline for comments is Monday 16 December 2024. Your participation and contributions are sincerely appreciated.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact us at [email protected].

Please place in the subject line of your e-mail the following: “Feedback on data policies for times of crisis”.

More information:

• UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science
• UNESCO Open Science Toolkit 
• UNESCO-CODATA Working Group on Data Policies for Times of Crises

Protecting Science in Times of Crisis

International Science Council. (February 2024). Protecting Science in Times of Crisis. https://council.science/publications/protecting-science-in-times-of-crisis DOI: 10.24948/2024.01

Full paper Executive Summary

Photo by Nguyen Kiet on Unsplash