UNESCO wants nations to share coronavirus information

Firefighters ambulance crew members of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS 67) arrive on site for a rescue operation in Strasbourg as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in France, March 28, 2020. Credit: Reuters Photo

The United Nations scientific agency UNESCO held a virtual meeting with science ministers from 73 countries to discuss international cooperation around COVID-19.

Open science is an issue UNESCO has been pushing for months. The agency's leadership believes the global pandemic has highlighted the need to better share information to save lives.

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UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay says "the COVID-19 pandemic has made us aware of the importance of science for both research and international cooperation. This crisis also shows us the urgency of better knowledge sharing."

The meeting, which included representatives from the United States and Israel, addressed reducing the “knowledge deficit” between countries, strengthening the link between science and political decisions and allowing free access to scientific data.

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