International Data Policy Committee

The CODATA International Data Policy Committee (IDPC) is the key instrument by which CODATA pursues its mission of promoting effective and appropriate policies for Open Science and FAIR data. A subsidiary task is to support the other strategic objectives of CODATA. 

IDPC Mission

The CODATA International Data Policy Committee is an international expert body that:

• takes a leadership role in developing and advancing CODATA’s Open Science and FAIR Data agenda at a national and international level, in support of the organization’s strategy
  • Open Science for a Global Transformation: CODATA-coordinated submission to the UNESCO Open Science Consultation
• encourages the adoption and implementation of Open Science and FAIR data policies, particularly in the context of the International Science Council (ISC) -sponsored international collaborative research programmes
  • Beijing Declaration on Research Data
  • The Science International Accord on Open Data in a Big Data World
• provides expert advice to the global RDM stakeholder community on the development, adoption, and implementation of open data or other appropriate data policies and related activities
  • Twenty-year Review of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility by CODATA
  • Guidelines for the Legal Interoperability of Research Data
  • Current Best Practice for Research Data Management Policies

IDPC Activities

There are generally three types of activities in which the IDPC engages:

Policy support of CODATA initiatives and programs. IDPC members can be individually or collectively involved in engaging with CODATA activities, projects, Task Groups etc. on data policy issues. This can include supporting the data policy activities of CODATA Task Groups and Strategic Initiatives. The Decadal Programme ‘Making Data Work for Cross-Domain Grand Challenges and the Global Open Science Cloud (GOSC) initiative both have data policy related activities, as do some CODATA Task Groups.

External requests for advice or projects. CODATA is frequently contacted by other organizations in relation to data policy issues. These approaches generally ask for advice, comment or even endorsement of policy statements and documents. CODATA generally calls on the IDPC’s expertise to respond to such issues. Additionally, there have been in recent years a series of externally generated and funded reviews and reports that CODATA has been asked to undertake. The IDPC membership often acts as a source of expertise for such work.

IDPC-generated projects. IDPC members bring forward policy-related issues for consideration by the Committee. A recent activity that fits in this category was the High-level International Meeting on Open Research Data Policy and Practice held in September 2019 and the resulting Beijing Declaration.

Current IDPC Projects and Sub-Groups

In 2021, the IDPC underwent a process of reflection and preparing new areas of activity. Current areas of interest for the IDPC include the following:

• Framework for Data Diplomacy
• Data Rights and Responsibilities
• Data Policy Training
• Sensitive Data Sharing Policy

Additionally, the IDPC will engage with the Policy and Legal Working Group as part of the GOSC initiative and a new CODATA Working Group on Data Ethics.