Persistent divides on science threaten to leave developing nations behind, new UNESCO report shows

The report identifies five structural reforms to get the SDGs back on track:

1. Reform how research is rewarded from the current "publish or perish" culture;

2. Expand equitable access to scientific infrastructure and knowledge, allowing all countries to participate and benefit;

3. Create direct bridges between scientists and decision-makers to ensure research remains responsive to society’s needs;

4. Rebuild public trust in science through integrity, inclusion and scientific literacy

5. Responsibly govern new technologies, including AI, before they outpace our ability to steer them.

    

Open science: closing the gap from policy to implementation

New UNESCO data also reveals how 81 countries have implemented UNESCO’s Recommendation on Open Science since its adoption in 2021. The findings show that close to 60% of open science policies adopted over the past 5 years explicitly reference the Recommendation, showing proof that this instrument is directly shaping how governments design science policy.

Yet progress remains uneven: while 79% of governments report having an open science policy framework, only 41% actually have a plan in place to implement it, and just one in three has a monitoring mechanism to ensure these policies are reaching their goal of making scientific research more accessible.

Science for the next generation

On the sidelines of the conference, UNESCO and the AXA Foundation for Human Progress have launched Next Generations, a photo exhibition showcasing eleven outstanding young researchers from around the world and the stories behind their work, a reminder that the scientists who will carry the next decade of discovery are already at work.

Under the theme Science in Action: Charting a Sustainable and Equitable Future for All, the Global conference will tackle the most pressing challenges to close the gap between scientific research and the decisions that affect people's lives, including: reducing global science divides between North and South, and between men and women, translating open science commitments into practice, and rebuilding public trust in science.