This event marks the official launch of a significant contribution to the UNESCO Open Science Toolkit: the suite of resources developed by the UNESCO-CODATA Working Group on Data Policies for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science.
As communities worldwide face increasingly frequent and complex crises – from health emergencies and disasters to geopolitical conflicts – the need for ethical, reliable, and actionable data has become critical. This session illustrates how open science principles, as outlined in the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, can be operationalized through data policies that enhance digital coordination, enable cross-sectoral data sharing, and support timely, transparent, and trusted decision-making in crisis settings.
The UNESCO Toolkit resource package includes the following:
- Factsheet: A concise overview of the critical role data policies play in crisis situations and how open science can lead to more resilient, equitable, and coordinated data management in times of crisis.
- Guidance Document: A structured framework designed to help stakeholders develop context-sensitive data policies informed by open science principles.
- Checklist: A practical tool to support the design of data policies for times of crisis aligned with open science values.
The event will showcase the purpose and application of each resource, highlighting how they can assist UN agencies, government agencies, policymakers, researchers, first responders, and civil society in developing ethically grounded, robust, and adaptable data policies. By promoting interdisciplinary, rights-based, and science-based collaboration globally, these resources can assist stakeholders to position science at the core of evidence-informed decision-making and coordinated crisis management.
Objective
The key objective of the event is to launch and present the UNESCO Open Science Toolkit Resources on Data Policies for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science; namely the suite of resources developed by the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC Working Group, Factsheet, Guidance, and Checklist, as globally applicable data policy tools that promote ethical, transparent, and coordinated data management in times of crisis.
Agenda
| Time (CEST) | Topic |
|---|---|
| Moderator Ana Persic, Programme Specialist, Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Section, UNESCO |
|
| 13:00 | Welcome Ezra Clark, Chief of Section, Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Section, UNESCO |
| Situating the need for data policies in crises (video presentation) Virginia Murray Co-chair, UNESCO-CODATA Working Group on Data Policies for Times of Crises |
|
| 13:05 | UNESCO Open Science Toolkit Resources on Data Policies for Times of Crisis: The power of the open science framework Francis P. Crawley Chair, CODATA International Data Policy Committee |
| 13:15 | The need for data policies in times of crises facilitated by open science: Science, ethics and real-world experiences B. Burçak Basbug Erkan Department of Statistics, Middle East Technical University (METU) Ankara, TürkiyeNicole Mwananshiku The Royal Society, United Kingdom Perihan Elif Ekmekçi Vivi Stavrou |
| 13:25 | Closing remarks Francis P. Crawley |
| 13:30 | Networking on UNESCO open science toolkit resources: Data policies for times of crisis facilitated by open science |
You can view the event brochure here.