Is Science a Human Right? Implementing the Principle of Participatory, Equitable, and Universally Accessible Science

Abstract

The right of every human being to have access to scientific knowledge and participate in its development (also called “the right to science”) is enshrined in Article 27.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. This article stipulates that: “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” In 1966, the right to science was included in Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which called on the States Parties to “recognize the right of everyone to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications” and take the necessary steps for “the conservation, the development and the diffusion of science.”