ADDIS ABABA, July 18 (IPS) – Scientific research has led to social and economic progress worldwide, but the scientists who make it possible face major challenges.
Science drives development, but scientists need the freedom to research and advance technology and innovation. Is scientific freedom a cornerstone of development for African countries to remain globally competitive?”
Limiting science
A new report from UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, shows that increasing societal polarization, erosion of democratic processes and a rise in populism, misinformation and disinformation are among the factors limiting scientific freedom in Africa.
In a study, African perspectives on scientific freedom, In April 2024, the UNESCO Conference was launched during the Sixth Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, highlighting worrying trends that are increasing pressure on the freedom and safety of scientists.
“When the voices of scientists are silenced, or when the capacity of societies to produce relevant and impartial knowledge, to think critically and to distinguish truth from falsehood is undermined. Without the freedom and safety of scientists, trust in science and the culture of science-driven decision-making is eroded,” said Gabriel Ramos, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, in a foreword to the study.
UNESCO has developed a Recommendation for Science and Scientific Researchers, stating that for science to reach its full potential, it is crucial that scientists “work in a spirit of intellectual freedom to seek, interpret and defend scientific truth as they perceive it and enjoy the protection of their autonomous judgment against undue influence.”
This followed findings that scientific freedom is being limited by, among other things, declining public debate and armed conflict. As a result of these limitations, UNESCO launched a new programme in 2023 to promote scientific freedom and the safety of scientists to collect data to inform decision-making.
Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the rights of all individuals to “participate in scientific advancement and its benefits.” While the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights calls for the protection of the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific advancement and its applications. The Covenant explicitly refers to scientific freedom by requiring member states to commit to respecting the “freedom indispensable to scientific research.”
There is a caveat. UNESCO says that scientific freedom must be exercised together with responsibility, which is the duty of scientists to conduct and apply science with integrity, in the interest of humanity, in a spirit of stewardship of the environment and with respect for human rights.
According to UNESCO, scientific ecosystems in Africa operate in a challenging environment, underscoring the need to restore trust in science and the recognition of scientists in promoting human development.
Daya Reddy, Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, highlighted the limitations of research freedom and assessed the African perspectives on scientific freedom The report pointed to the need for greater collaboration between scientists and policymakers to promote science, technology and innovation.
Reddy said the focus area of the study was for Africa to develop guidelines and recommendations on scientific freedom after better understanding the state of scientific freedom in six African countries profiled in the pilot study. The study assessed scientific freedom in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. It found that scientific freedom was not uniformly understood and valued across different national contexts, necessitating the creation of a robust framework of laws and policies to promote research and publication.
Lack of resources and critical mass were identified as factors undermining scientific freedom that had no explicit profile or presence in policies and legal frameworks in the six countries. This is despite the fact that most national constitutions protected a range of human rights and freedoms, such as freedom of expression, opinion and information, but were silent on scientific freedom. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an exception, and its constitution provides for freedom of access to research results, while protecting the interests of its authors.
Despite accounting for 12.5 percent of the world’s population, Africa contributed less than one percent to global research output and spent even less on research and development. In 2006, African heads of state and government agreed to spend one percent of national GDP on research and development to boost scientific innovation. However, none of Africa’s countries have met this threshold, highlighting the widespread underspending on scientific research in Africa.
Building a culture of science
We need to build a culture of science to accelerate sustainable development in Africa, says Lidia Brito, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences. She argues that scientists play a crucial role in promoting the well-being of society and that to reach their full potential, scientists must be able to work freely, without any constraints.
“Science needs space to develop. There is also a need to interact with society to understand their needs and then come up with solutions through scientific efforts, but in a co-designer, co-participatory mode,” Brito told IPS, stressing that ensuring that scientists have the freedom in terms of funding and infrastructure, and the space to develop their scientific programs, is essential.
“We want science and scientists to be heroes who come up with solutions to the pressing challenges we face around the world,” Brito said.
But how do we promote scientific culture, given that there is little investment in research and development in Africa?
The UNESCO report, African perspectives on scientific freedomscalls for more investment in science, in scientific organisations and the training of more researchers in Africa. This will be possible through an enabling environment that promotes the growth of science and scientists to operate.
“It is also about protecting the scientific profession and creating a favourable environment to retain scientists in their scientific careers, which is particularly important for female scientists,” Brito said, adding that women often start their careers in science but then leave because the working environment is not favourable for them.
The study noted that the underrepresentation of women in science, technology and research in Africa is a problem that needs to be addressed. Less than 31 percent of scientists in sub-Saharan Africa are womenaccording to UNESCO.
Closing the brain drain
In addition, Africa is experiencing a brain drain of its scientists, attracted by better conditions in other countries, particularly the Global North. The World Economic Forum (WEF) found that Africa less than 100 scientists per million inhabitants and will have to increase this number to the global average of 800 in the coming years by training millions of scientists, technicians and engineers to postgraduate level.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
