World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated every year on 10 November. It highlights the important role of science in society and its relevance in our daily lives. This day is also known as World Science Day.

By linking science more closely with society, World Science Day for Peace and Development aims to ensure that the public are kept informed of developments in science. It also highlights the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of our planet and in making our societies increasingly sustainable.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) works with people, government agencies and organisations to promote the World Science Day for Peace and Development each year. The success of the World Science Day depends on the active involvement of many partners, including governmental and non-governmental organisations, the science community, teachers and schools. UNESCO encourages the organisation of your own event.

2019 Theme: “Open science, leaving no one behind”

In 2019, the Day will be focusing on the theme of Open Science. Embracing open science as a tool for making science more accessible, the scientific process more inclusive as well as the outputs of science more readily available for all.

Not only is Open Science an issue of science being open to the research community, as in “open access” and “open data”, but also refers to a science open to society.

Although there has been progress made in recent years, there is still a great disparity in access to science, technology and innovation (STI) across and within different regions and different countries. To address the imbalance and close the existing STI gaps, Open Science is an important step in the right direction.

At the heart of the scientific process lies Open communication of the scientific data, results, hypotheses and opinions. In this context, Open Science is the developing global movement to make scientific research and data accessible to all.

Through World Science Day, UNESCO wants us to embrace open science as a tool for making science more accessible, scientific process more inclusive and the outputs of science more readily available for all!

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