The United Nations Dag Hammarskj?ld Library would like to invite you to a keynote address on the past, present and future of Open Access, to be delivered during the . The virtual event is scheduled for .
Open access to scientific information plays a pivotal role in advancing the mission of the United Nations by democratizing knowledge, promoting inclusivity, and driving global progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The right of access to information is a central component of the right to freedom of expression and has a legal basis in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, Article 19.2), and regional human rights treaties. As we continue to work toward a more equitable and just world, expanding and supporting open access to information is vital to ensuring that knowledge flows freely, and that the benefits of scientific and intellectual advancements reach all people, leaving no one behind.
Melissa Hagemann has been at the forefront of the Access to Knowledge movement for over twenty years. She played a key role in the drafting of the , the pioneering and first official international statement on Open Access, released in 2002 and signed by 1,852 institutions from the global academic and research communities, including intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). The declaration states, "Open Access is not an end in itself, but a means to further ends, above all, to the equity, quality, sustainability, and usability of research." In this keynote, Melissa will present the history of the open access movement, its vision during the Budapest meeting over 20 years ago, its evolution, and where we stand today.
The Steering Committee for UN Secretariat Libraries will present the Annual UN Accelerator Award for Libraries 2024 at the opening of this event.
