Open Science/Week 3: Science in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Learning Outcomes

• List the dimensions of sustainable development.
• Identify Sustainable Development Goal targets relevant to open science.
• Explain the relationship between human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Readings

Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 25 September 2015, Copyright © United Nations. 35 pages.

Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, United Nations, Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, © OHCHR 1996-2021.

Transforming Our World: Human Rights in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development United Nations, Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, © OHCHR 1996-2021. 2 pages.

SDG_HR_Table, United Nations, Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, © OHCHR 1996-2021. 7 slides.

Discussion Question

Consult the Sustainable Development Goals Human Rights table. The table shows how each Sustainable Development Goal (Goal) is related to specific human rights protections. The human right to science (Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR] Article 27) relates to several Goals. Three of these relationships address specific applications of science and technology to meeting individual Goals. For example, Goal 3, Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages, is related to UDHR Article 27. In contrast, Goal 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development) takes a broader institutional perspective on the role of science in meeting the goals.

Which of these four connections between a Goal and the human right to science seems most relevant to you on a personal, professional level?  Conclude your post with a question that could be answered by others in the class.

Self-check Questions

1 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted as part of Agenda 2030 at a 2015 United Nations meeting of Heads of State and Government and High Representatives. The Preamble explains that the goals are integrated and indivisible and balanced across the dimensions of sustainable development. What are those dimensions??

	economic, social and environmental
	people, planet and prosperity
	people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships

2 The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are supported by 169 targets, to be achieved by 2030. In this course, we are especially interested in SDG 17, strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. Which of the following targets support SDG 17? Mark all that apply.

	Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed.
	Enhance capacity-building support to developing countries to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts.
	Effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans.
	Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, including encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
	Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms.

3 Refer to the document Transforming Our World: Human Rights in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. How are the Sustainable Development Goals related to human rights? Choose the best answer.

	The 2030 Agenda is unequivocally anchored in human rights.
	The SDG targets are closely aligned with human rights standards.
	Like the human rights agenda, the 2030 Agenda is a universal agenda and is universally applicable for all people in all countries, including developed and developing countries.
	Where there are gaps or inconsistencies, it calls for implementation of the targets to be consistent with international human rights law.
	all of the above

4 Consult the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Human Rights table. Which domain-specific SDGs are related to the human right to science? Mark all that apply.

Note: While the table is intended for illustrative purposes only and the listing of relevant rights is not exhaustive, this question is asking you to focus on how the table presents the relationships.

	SDG 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.
	SDG 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
	SDG 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
	SDG 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.
	SDG 10 Reduced inequalities.

5 How does the human right to science, as reflected in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, relate to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17, strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development? Refer to General Comment 25 and the Sustainable Development Goals Human Rights table.

	SDG 17 promotes the development of partnerships for technology transfer, the process of moving research discoveries into the development of applications. This transfer supports the right to benefit from scientific progress.
	Strengthening the means of implementation includes capacity building, such as adequate funding for and fair access to scientific education.
	National implementation of the human right to science requires development of measurements, indicators, and benchmarks for progress, including disaggregated data, as called for in SDG 17.
	all of the above