A good news from UNESCO

The 39th General Conference, in its session of November 10, 2017 has just adopted a new recommendation on science and scientific researchers.

 

The FMTS has collected and brought in the form of amendments the requirements of its affiliated organizations such as ours. After two years of dialogues and contributions, the UNESCO service responsible for monitoring the revision has produced a summary version submitted in a second stage to the States. At this stage we had concerns again but the version presented at the general conference last month was almost this synthesis of a year ago, under the title; the new recommendation is entitled “Recommendation concerning science and scientific researchers”

This recommendation is a good text because:

He sees science as a common good beyond special interests.

It also links the growing importance of science in human activity with the need to support scientific staff, its protection, recognition, training and accountability.

It comes at the right time:

at the moment when obscurantist forces question the foundations of scientific knowledge and limit the education of children;
at a time when global warming should lead humanity to focus technological and scientific development to guarantee a sustainable future;
at a time when the exacerbation of international tensions requires new knowledge to restore understanding and peace between men;
at a time when the global financialization of the economy favors short-term innovation at the expense of long-term research and thus contributes to the precariousness of scientific work;

This document can serve as a benchmark for the scientific community and progressive forces around the world. They will have to promote it to the scientists themselves, their organizations and the political and professional authorities because it is feared that no publicity is given to this document.

Jean-Paul Lainé, President, on 13h December 2017