Reviving the Human Right to Science - #GESDASummit 2021

The notion that everyone has a right to benefit from scientific progress is enshrined in the United Nations’ 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted under the guidance of Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the drafting committee, and in the U.N.’s 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international and regional treaties. It is far from clear, however, exactly what freedoms and responsibilities derive from this established right of all people to “share in scientific advancement and its benefits,” as the UN declared, and for most of its history, governments have largely allowed this right to remain dormant and neglected. As science and technology take an ever-greater role in our lives, now might be the time to bring this right back to life. An important first step would be to specify just what exactly is meant by the right to science. Proposals for reviving this right include a collective commitment to open science and inclusivity, new forums for data-sharing and the establishment of a deliberative body to ensure the latest scientific evidence is taken into account in policy making.

- What freedoms and responsibilities does the “right to science” entail?
- How can the right to science be used to benefit humanity?
- How can we make this a “living human right” that is taken seriously by policymakers, and how can we encourage signatories to the UDHR to renew their commitment to the right to science?

Moderated by:
• Samira Kiani, CEO and Founder, GenexGen; Director, Tomorrow.Life Initiative; Associate Professor, Liver Research Center, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, USA

With:
• Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); Former President of Chile
• Yvonne Donders, Head, Department of International and European Public Law; Commissioner, Netherlands Human Rights Institute, University of Amsterdam, Poland
• Kamila Markram, CEO Frontiers, Germany
• Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross, Switzerland