UNESCO ICSU
World Conference on Science
Science for the 21st Century -- A New Commitment
Budapest, Hungary, 26 June - 1 July 1999
Draft Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge
(Preliminary version)
Preamble
We have come to recognize that we all live on the same planet and are all part of the biosphere; and that the future of humankind is intrinsically linked to the preservation of the global life-support systems and to the survival of all forms of life. All nations of the world are called upon to acknowledge the urgency of using knowledge from the natural and social sciences to address human needs without indulging in its misuse. Science should be at the service of humanity as a whole, and should contribute to providing a deeper understanding of nature and society, a better quality of life for everyone and a healthy and productive environment for present and future generations.
Steadily improving scientific knowledge on the origin, functions and evolution of the universe and of life provides humankind with a rational view which profoundly influences the conduct of human affairs. Scientific knowledge has yielded applications that have been of great benefit to humankind. Life expectancy has strikingly increased, cures are available - or foreseen - for many diseases, and health care has improved dramatically. Agricultural output has risen to meet population needs, at least in global terms. Technological developments and the exploitation of energy sources have created the capacity for freeing humankind from the most arduous labour. The new communication and information technologies have brought unprecedented opportunities for interaction between peoples and individuals.
However, all these benefits are unequally distributed, and this has widened the gap between industrialized and developing countries. In addition, the applications of scientific advances have also led to environmental degradation and have been a source of social imbalance or exclusion. Scientific and technological progress has also made possible the construction of sophisticated weapons, including atomic, biological and chemical ones, having the potential to destroy life on a mass scale or even put at risk the entire planet. Today, there is an opportunity for fewer resources to be allocated to the development and manufacture of new weapons and for military research facilities to be at least partially converted to civilian use. The United Nations has proclaimed the Year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace as a step towards a lasting peace between and within countries; science and the scientific community can and should play an essential role in this process.
Today, whilst unprecedented advances in science are foreseen, there is need for a vigorous democratic debate on the ethical, cultural, environmental and economical aspects of the use of scientific knowledge. Enhancing the role of science for a more equitable, prosperous and sustainable world requires a long-term commitment of all stakeholders: governments and parliaments, scientists and engineers, industry, the media, international organizations and society at large. Greater interdisciplinary efforts, involving both natural and social sciences, are a prerequisite for dealing with crucial social, economic, cultural, environmental and health issues. It will also require that public trust and support for science be strengthened through a new social contract. This calls, in particular, for a commitment on the part of the social and natural scientists to analyse the impact of the natural sciences on society.
We, participants in the World Conference on "Science for the Twenty-first Century: a New Commitment", assembled in Budapest, Hungary, from 26 June to 1 July 1999 under the aegis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Council for Science (ICSU):
Recognizing that science is a powerful intellectual resource for understanding natural and societal phenomena and that the role of science promises to be greater in the future, also because of the growing complexity of the interrelationship between society and nature;
Recognizing that scientific information is indispensable today for decision-makers and for society at large;
Considering that scientific research yields inestimable returns in terms of sustainable development and improvement in the quality of life;
Convinced that science and its applications are a major factor for socio-economic development and that the future of humankind will be more dependent on the production, distribution and use of knowledge than ever before;
Acknowledging that scientific issues are largely of a universal nature, know no borders and require international recognition, assessment, co-ordination and co-operation;
Taking into account the recommendations of major conferences organized by the United Nations system and the meetings associated with the World Conference on Science;
Stressing that access to scientific knowledge is part of the right to education and the right to information belonging to all people; and that science education is essential for human development and for creating endogenous scientific capacity;
Recalling that scientific research and the use of scientific knowledge should respect human rights and the dignity of human beings, and recalling further the relevant articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Stressing the need to practice and apply science in line with appropriate ethical requirements;
Emphasizing that the use of scientific knowledge should respect biological diversity, as well as the life-supporting systems of our planet;
Appreciating the importance of traditional and local knowledge and the need to safeguard and make better use of it;
Considering that a new social contract between science and society is necessary to cope with such pressing contemporary problems as poverty, environmental degradation, public health and food security;
Underlining >the need for a strong commitment of political, economic and social partners to science, as well as an equally strong commitment of scientists to the well-being of society;
proclaim the following:
1. Science for knowledge; knowledge for progress
1.1 The inherent function of the scientific venture is to carry out a comprehensive questioning of nature leading to new knowledge. It is this new knowledge that provides cultural and intellectual enrichment and leads to the technological advances and benefits stemming from science. Promoting fundamental research is a priority towards achieving endogenous development and progress. There can be no applied science if there is no science to apply.
1.2 Governments should give recognition to the key role of scientific research in the acquisition of knowledge, in the training of scientists and in the education of the public. Scientific research in the private sector has increased, but cannot be a substitute for public research. The public sector should adequately finance scientific research for long-term goals, especially those that are expected to give rise to applications of social importance.
2. Science for peace
2.1 Governments should be aware of the need to apply natural and social sciences and technology to address the root causes of conflict, such as social inequalities, poverty, lack of justice and democracy, inadequate education for all, insufficient health care and food provision, and environmental degradation. Governments should increase investment in these areas of scientific research at the expense of their military budgets. There will never be peace whilst there is poverty and inequity.
2.2 Scientists should uphold the principle of full and open access to information; scientific research should be subject to public accountability. The scientific community, sharing a long-standing tradition that transcends the borders of nations, religions or ethnicity, should promote the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind, which is the basis of a culture of peace. All nations should facilitate the free circulation of scientists and recognize their constructive co-operation as a valuable contribution to the peaceful development of human civilization.
3. Science for development
3.1 Governments and the private sector should provide enhanced support for building up an adequate and well-shared scientific and technological capacity as an indispensable foundation for economic, social and environmentally sound development. Technological development requires a solid scientific basis and needs to be resolutely oriented towards cleaner production and more environment friendly products. Investment in science and technology aimed at a better understanding and safeguarding the planet's threatened life-support system and at integrating the economic, social and environmental objectives of development must be increased in the future.
3.2 Science education at all levels and without discrimination is a fundamental need for ensuring sustainable development. In recent years, world-wide efforts have been initiated to develop and strengthen educational programmes to provide all children, youth and adults with basic education. It is on this platform that science education, communication and popularization need to be built. It is more than ever necessary to develop and expand science literacy with reasoning ability and skills so as to increase public participation in the decision-making process related to the application of new knowledge.
3.3 National strategies and institutional arrangements should be set up to enhance the role of science in development, and in particular: a long-term national policy on science and technology; the creation and maintenance of national authorities for risk assessment, safety and health; and incentives for investment, research and innovation. Parliaments and governments should provide a sound legal, institutional and economic basis for enhancing scientific and technological capacity.
3.4 All countries, and in particular the developing ones, need to strengthen scientific research in higher education and post-graduate programmes. Regional and international co-operation should be used to support scientific capacity building to ensure both equitable development and the spread and utilization of human creativity without discrimination of any kind (sex, ethnicity, etc.). All efforts should be made to create conditions that ensure a marked reduction or reversal in brain-drain.
3.5 Progress in science requires various types of co-operation at the intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental levels, such as: multilateral projects; fellowships and grants to promote research, particularly in the developing countries; international agreements for the joint funding of megaprojects; international panels for the evaluation of complex scientific results; and international arrangements for the promotion of post-graduate training. New initiatives are required for interdisciplinary collaboration through national and international research facilities, research networks and targeted projects. Support for international collaborative projects, especially if of global interest, should be significantly increased. Access to these facilities for scientists from developing countries should be facilitated.
3.6 National policies on science and technology should encourage all partners, particularly the private sector, to support scientific research and to develop university-industry co-operation. Whilst intellectual property rights need to be appropriately protected, access to data and information are essential for undertaking scientific work. The development of a universally accepted legal framework is necessary; this should take into account the specific requirements of developing countries with regard to access to scientific information and data.
4. Science in society and science for society
4.1 The practice of scientific research and the use of scientific knowledge should always aim at the welfare of humankind, men and women alike, and be respectful of the dignity of human beings and of their fundamental rights, and take fully into account our responsibility towards future generations; there should be a new commitment in this respect.
4.2 A free flow of information on the possible uses of new discoveries and newly developed technologies should be secured so that ethical issues can be debated in an appropriate way. In each country a suitable mechanism should be established to address the ethics of the use of scientific knowledge and its applications.
4.3 All scientists should commit themselves to high ethical standards. The possible development of a pledge similar to the Hippocratic Oath for all scientific professions should be considered as an expression of this commitment.
4.4 The difficulties encountered by women and by minorities in entering and pursuing a career in science and in gaining access to decision-making in science and technology should be addressed urgently through adequate institutional mechanisms and other appropriate measures. Equality in access to science is not only a social and ethical requirement for human development, but also a necessity for realizing the full potential of scientific communities and to orient scientific progress towards meeting the needs of humankind.
4.5 The social responsibility of scientists implies that they exert a rigorous quality control of their findings, share their knowledge, communicate with the public and educate the younger generation. A free flow of scientific information and open access to it should be guaranteed by all parties concerned.
We, participants in the World Conference on "Science for the Twenty-first Century: a New Commitment", consider that the Conference document "Science Agenda - Framework for Action" gives practical expression to the new commitment to science, and can serve as a strategic guide for international partnership between all stakeholders in the scientific venture in the years to come.
We commit ourselves to act co-operatively through our own spheres of responsibility to strengthen scientific culture and its peaceful application throughout the world, and to promote the use of scientific knowledge for development, taking into account the societal and ethical principles illustrated above.
We adopt therefore this World Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge and agree upon the Science Agenda - Framework for Action as a means of achieving the goals set forth in the Declaration.
8/12/98
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Nature © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1999 Registered No. 785998 England.