Call for Advice: Revision of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers

In past Annual General Meetings (AGM) and Sectoral Commission meetings of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, many of you have expressed strong interest and innovative ideas for the revision process of the Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers (1974). 

UNESCO is now directly seeking your advice! More specifically, you are invited to send two types of comments:

1)      Suggestions for revision of the original text (are there missing themes? Issues that should be added?);

2)      Comments as to what should not change (important parts to retain in the revision process).

Inputs received will be used to inform UNESCO’s revision and serve as basis for the redaction of a preliminary report which will be shared with Member States for comments and observations in 2016.

To help you in your reflection, please find below some examples of comments gathered by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO in 2012, when discussions happened as to whether or not the Recommendation should be revised. 

• Many things have changed since 1974 in the field of S&T.  Globalization and major technological changes have affected the work of scientific researchers.  They have also brought new dimensions to issues such as access to scientific knowledge, dissemination and use of research, privacy and copyright. 
• The rapid developments in the areas of bioscience, biotechnology and bioethics brought forward new ethical issues. Questions such as informed consent and ethics committees are increasingly important in today’s scientific research.
• The social responsibility of scientists and the ethics of science are now at the forefront of S&T policies.  The definition of certain terms has evolved and new concepts, such as precautionary principle and sustainable development, have arisen and should be included if a new document is developed. 

In its current form, the Recommendation contains 6 sections:

• Section I defines basic concepts and their relations (for example definitions of “science”, the output of science and “technology”; etc.);
• Section II provides guidelines on the role of science and scientific researchers in national policy-making. You will find therein reference to themes such as public interest, science for peace, disaster prevention, international cooperation, conditions for the work of scientific researchers, etc.
• Section III addresses the importance in scientific education and training.  It refers to principles such as respect, scientific integrity, non-discrimination in access to scientific education, civic responsibility for possible consequences of scientific research, etc.
• Section IV considers the professional rights and responsibilities of scientific researchers, referring to issues such as respect for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, ecological and social responsibility; cooperation in furtherance of international peace and understanding, etc.
• Sections VI and VII provide indications for the implementation of the Recommendation by UNESCO Member States in co-operation with other actors of society, for example organizations of science and technology educators, professional associations of scientific researchers, associations of science writers, youth organizations, etc.

We invite you to express yourself and make your voice count by submitting your comments to UNESCO via email at recommendation [dot] comment [at] unesco [dot] org (recommendation [dot] comment [at] unesco [dot] org) before 1 November 2014.  We ask that you copy cynthia [dot] lacasse [at] unesco [dot] ca (cynthia [dot] lacasse [at] unesco [dot] ca), Programme Officer at the CCUNESCO, in your email.

You will find a link to the 1974 Recommendation as well as additional information at:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/bioethics/call-for-advice-revision-of-unesco-recommendation-on-the-status-of-scientific-researchers/

Please do not hesitate to share this invitation to contribute to this important revision process with your networks.

Kind regards,

Cynthia