Freedom and responsibility in science 

Article 26 of The Universal Declaration on Human Rights stipulates that “everyone has the right to education.” The ISC affirms that this right applies to science education, training and mentoring.

• This freedom must be supported by equitable access to existing knowledge, information, data and other necessary resources.
• The effective exercise of this freedom presumes freedom of movement, association, communication, and expression.
• Regarding freedom of movement, the ISC affirms that those who are lawfully within a country should be free to move within the country and free to leave the country. Beyond this, specifically in relation to the goal of knowledge production, all reasonable efforts should be made to minimize barriers to freedom of movement between countries.

• This freedom is meant to encompass a commitment to the public good, which is different from the public interest. The public good is that which promotes the wellbeing of all –– humans, nonhuman animals, and the environment.
• The responsible exercise of this freedom aims to promote both social justice and intergenerational justice.

• It is important to refrain from, and to prevent, discrimination in science based on perceptions of ethnicity, racial identity, nationality, citizenship, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, religious beliefs, or other social group memberships.
• It is equally important to actively promote fairness, equity, and benefit-sharing in science.

• Science must be rigorous in terms of the quality of evidence generated, be free from conflicts of interest, and be free from manipulation or falsification of data or findings.
• The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights addresses concerns about the relationship between ethics, science and freedom. This is a reasonable reference for established ethical norms.

Trust in science depends on the active dissemination of scientific information and research findings (both positive and negative results) to peers, policy makers and civil society.

As appropriate, scientists (including research staff and trainees), national governments, research institutions, funding bodies, regulatory and oversight bodies, review committees, publishers and editors, standard setting institutions, and educators are expected to:

• Contribute to effective governance tools, institutions, and processes.
• Create an environment that enables the free and responsible conduct of science.
• Introduce fair processes for the confidential reporting and investigation of possible illegal, unethical, or unsafe science.