UN / OPEN SCIENCE JOINT APPEAL

The Directors-General of UNESCO and WHO and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a joint appeal reaffirming the fundamental right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, and advocating for open, inclusive and collaborative science. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:53
• Production Date: 27 October 2020
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: AUDREY AZOULAY; MICHELLE BACHELET JERIA; TEDROS GHEBREYESUS
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION - UNESCO; UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - UNHCHR; WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION - WHO
• Subject Topical: DISEASE CONTROL; HUMAN RIGHTS; MEDICAL SCIENCES; SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• MAMS Id: 2576241
• Parent Id: 2576241
• Alternate Title: unifeed201027e

Description

STORY: UN / OPEN SCIENCE JOINT APPEAL
TRT: 01:53
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 OCTOBER 2020, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Tilt up, United Nations Headquarters

27 OCTOBER 2020, NEW YORK CITY

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
“Today, closed science models do no longer work, because they amplify inequalities between countries and researchers, and because they only make scientific progress available to a minority. This health crisis has shown the incredible potential of scientific cooperation at international level. This cooperation that has allowed us to sequence the virus genome so quickly. The solidarity shown by the scientific community is a model for the future.”

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

3. Close up, UN flag

27 OCTOBER 2020, NEW YORK CITY

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“In this difficult times, the best held technologies and discoveries cannot be reserved only for a few. They must be available to all. After all, what’s the purpose of having cutting-edge technologies if they cannot reach the people that need them the most? Sharing data and information that’s often-kept secret or protected by intellectual property could significantly advance the speed at which technologies are developed.”

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

5. Close up, UN flag

27 OCTOBER 2020, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“COVID-19 has brought this issue of open information into sharp focus. The suppression or denial of scientific evidence in some circles, and reluctance to adopt evidence-based policies, have magnified the devastating harms the pandemic has generated. A basic principle of public health is the need for full and honest engagement with the public. Use of force public will not mitigate or end this pandemic, but the use of science and fully informed public consent and compliance will.”

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

5. Close up, UN flag

Storyline

The Directors-General of UNESCO and WHO and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, today (27 Oct) issued a joint appeal reaffirming the fundamental right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, and advocating for open, inclusive and collaborative science.

The Head of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, said, “today, closed science models do no longer work, because they amplify inequalities between countries and researchers, and because they only make scientific progress available to a minority.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, she said, “has shown the incredible potential of scientific cooperation at international level,” in quickly identifying the virus genome.

The solidarity shown by the scientific community, Azoulay added, “is a model for the future.”

WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “in this difficult times, the best held technologies and discoveries cannot be reserved only for a few. They must be available to all.”

Dr Tedros said, “sharing data and information that’s often-kept secret or protected by intellectual property could significantly advance the speed at which technologies are developed.”

For her part, Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said, “COVID-19 has brought this issue of open information into sharp focus. The suppression or denial of scientific evidence in some circles, and reluctance to adopt evidence-based policies, have magnified the devastating harms the pandemic has generated.”

Bachelet said, “se of force public will not mitigate or end this pandemic, but the use of science and fully informed public consent and compliance will.”

The joint appeal calls on member states to ensure the fundamental right to access scientific research and its applications, with a view to creating a global knowledge commons and closing existing gaps in science, technology and innovation, especially in developing countries and with respect to women, and to
commit to supporting the international scientific community by fostering a culture of collaboration and solidarity, rather than competition, and by sharing research outcomes and knowledge wherever possible in order to make science widely accessible to everyone.