Challenges to International Data Sharing: the Role of UNESCO

• Brief overview of UNESCO and its Natural Sciences Sector

• Examples of current activities

• Ongoing challenges

• New opportunities and prospects for the future?

Gretchen KalonjiAssistant Director General for Natural

Sciences

Natural Sciences: Our Strategic Advantages

• Intersectoral nature of our mandate: Education, Science, Culture

• Strong existing efforts, e.g. in ocean and fresh water sciences (IOC and IHP); ecological sciences (MAB); geological sciences (IGSP); basic sciences (IBSP); science policy; indigenous knowledge

• An incredible network of UNESCO-related institutions, including the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the Academy of Science for the Developing World (TWAS), (both in Trieste), the IHE, in Delft, WWAP, and 22+ “category 2” centers around the world.

• Competent, energetic and creative field offices - the main science bureaus are in Cairo, Jakarta, Montevideo, Nairobi and Venice, but we also have science officers in 53 countries

• 300+ UNESCO Chairs around the world with science research foci

Natural Sciences: Our Strengths, 2

• Network of sites, e.g. MAB sites, World Heritage, geoparks

• Network of close partners:, e.g. CERN, ICSU, IUPAC…..

• Relationships with member states: permanent delegations at UNESCO, national commission, national committees for various programs, etc.,

• Our extensive family and credibility; We have a very broad convening power in science, as a neutral base for “networks of networks”

Natural Sciences: Challenges• Attaining more strategic focus: Including promoting

connections between units in natural sciences, with social science, and with other sectors

• More effective relations between headquarters and field offices

• Cohesion with our Category 1 and 2 centres and UNESCO chairs – an incredible resource

• Working more effectively with other UN agencies

• Building stronger partnerships with the outside world, esp. the private sector

• Enhancing visibility of UNESCO

Natural Sciences: Meta-goals

• Focus on scientific collaborations that require large-scale multinational collaborations, e.g. IOC, IHP, etc.

• Focus on areas where we can realize the broader goal of “science for peace”, e.g. effort in transboundary aquifers, SESAME, etc.

• Embrace our responsibility to assist member states in meeting their own goals for strengthening STI ecosystems in service to society, with foci on:

a. Poverty eradication

b. Low-cost, effective and accessible solutions to pressing social challenges, e.g. access to clean water, energy, health care, etc.

Our Concept of STI and Development

Culture of Science

Based in the countries’ potential to solve global

issues;

Local knowledge and innovation capacities;

Based on the local realities and addressing

the common good;

Inclusive

People’s centered

ETHICS EMPOWERMENT

BSP1: Strengthening STI Ecosystems• MLA 1: Promoting STI policies and access to knowledge

• MLA 2: Building capacities in basic sciences and engineering including through strengthening higher education systems

• MLA 3: Mobilizing broad-based societal participation in STI

BSP2: Mobilizing Science for Sustainability

• MLA 4: Managing and protecting oceans and coastal zones (IOC)

• MLA 5: Fresh water systems: stress and societal response (IHP)

• MLA 6: Ecological and earth sciences: (MAB and IGSP)

• MLA 7: Natural disaster risk reduction and mitigation

Strengthening Higher Education Systems• Enhancing research capacity

• Networked regional centers of excellence• Focus on complex challenges, e.g. water, energy and

environment

• Curricular transformation in science and engineering

• Moving to more progressive pedagogies – student-centered, team-based interdisciplinary projects

• Creation of high-quality, accessible, resources (e.g. with Nature)

• Developing multi-university partnership models

• Creation of alliances of universities working on common objectives

• Promoting student leadership

• Multinational student “design for sustainability” contests• Creation of student societies to drive the agenda

Example of UNESCO data access activities: Water

• UNESCO-IHP GRAPHIC project (Groundwater Resources under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change) – goal is advancing research on climate change impacts on groundwater resources and facilitating cooperation between scientists in the fields of hydrogeology and climatology through the collection and sharing of data, the joint analysis of information and the joint reporting of results

• GRAPHIC has been working closely together with NASA and the University of Irvine, California (UCI) in the application of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite data for assessing changes in groundwater storage

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Results – Phase IIdentification of 68 transboundary aquifers

UNESCO/OAS (2007) Sistemas acuiferos transfronterizos en las Américas. Evaluación Preliminar, Programa UNESCO/OEA ISARM América, Serie ISARM Américas N°1, Montevideo/Washington D.C., UNESCO-IHP/OAS.

UNESCO/IGRAC10

International Hydrological Programme VII Phase (2008-2013)

Cross-cutting

Programmes

FRIEND/HELP

THEME IV:Water and Life Support Systems

THEME III:Ecohydrology for Sustainability

THEME II:Strengthening Water Governance for

Sustainability

THEME I:Adapting to the impacts of global

changes on river basins and aquifer systems

HydrologicalResearch

Water ResourcesManagement

IHP - VIINew InitiativesWater Centres

IHP VI Initiatives

PC-CP

ISI

IFI

ICHARM

G - WADI

IAHS - PUB

THEME V:Water Education for Sustainable

Development

Education, Transfer of knowledge, Capacity building

The Man and Biosphere Programme: World Network of Biosphere Reserves

( 564 in 109 countries)

Data Collection in Mountain Biosphere Reserves GLOCHAMORE Project (Global Change in Mountain Regions)

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Country SupportCountry SupportPolicy AdvicePolicy Advice

Capacity BuildingCapacity Building

Regional CooperationRegional CooperationRegional StrategiesRegional StrategiesHarmonizing PoliciesHarmonizing PoliciesS&T Policy ForumsS&T Policy Forums

InternationInternationalal

Science Policy and Sustainable Development

Geological Sciences

• Extensive work on global geologic mapping in partnership with the

Commission for the Geological Map of the World – sharing data in

the form of paper geological maps which have defined national

boundaries since 1881

• Contributes to OneGeology – goal is to share the geologic data of

the world at a 1:1M scale through the OneGeology portal that allows

each geological survey to serve their own data live from their

servers to the portal

• UNESCO is an active partner in UN-SPIDER for sharing satellite data

and remote sensed products in the case of natural disasters

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Natural Sciences Sector – 28 February 2011

Oceans: IOC

• 1960: requirement for a structure to co-ordinate

international oceanographic data exchange

(IODE)

• 1961: Working Group on Exchange of Oceanographic

Data established:

− the facilitating of exchange of oceanographic data, the standardization of forms for reporting and coding data, the encouragement of the preparation of data catalogues, and the assistance of development of national oceanographic data centers

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IODE data centers 1961-2010

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IODE data centers 1961-2010

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Regional Networks development

• 1989-1996: RECOSCIX-WIO

• 2000-…: ODINAFRICA

• 2005: ODINCARSA

• ODINCINDIO

• ODINECET

• 2009: ODINWESTPAC

• 2009: ODIN-PIMRIS

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Example: ODINAFRICA

• PHASED + LONG-TERM

• Phase 1: sub-regional test bed of 7 countries• Phase 2: 20 countries: setting up data centers and

marine libraries; develop metadata and data bases; start development of products

• Phase 3: 25 countries: construct a Pan-African coastal observing system including a core network of tide gauges; data products (Atlas)/ national and regional work plans

• Phase 4: multi-sectoral data; share data (cooperation in OceanDataPortal)

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Ocean Observations and Services

• Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) coordinates member state oceanographic platforms and resources to provide a unified view of real-time ocean conditions, including monitoring sea surface height and climate variability.

• International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange are enabled through a worldwide service-oriented network of data centres and management services.

• Implementation of the ocean observing systems is guided by joint agency technical commissions and expert groups setting standards, best practices and coordinating preparation and dissemination of oceanographic products and services.

The IOC’s coordination of intergovernmental cooperation has enabled the global ocean observation systems so important to

climate and ocean research and management

NATURAL SCIENCES / Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Natural Sciences Sector – 28 February 2011

Tsunami Early Warning Systems

• Owned and operated by Member States

• Collect, distribute and interpret all available seismic and sea level data for the existence and propagation of a tsunami

• Issue timely and clear warnings for their area of operation and exchange these data and information with other national and international centres

• Complementary and sustained activities in tsunami hazard risk assessment, tsunami warning training, emergency response, and preparedness are part of the comprehensive tsunami mitigation programs that extend the TWS’s as end-to-end systems

IOC is assisting Member States in the development and coordination of regional tsunami early warning systems together with other UN

partners

NATURAL SCIENCES / Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Science Education at UNESCO• Multiple efforts underway both at secondary and university levels

• Partnership with CERN on programs for physics teachers, and on digital library access, with a focus on Africa

• Initiative on earth sciences education in Africa, with a focus on enhancing the participation of women

• Emerging partnership with Apple on promoting participation in Apple iTunes University from areas currently not represented

• Focus on strengthening higher education in Africa, in partnership with the African Union

• Emerging partnership with Nature Publishing Group on the World Library of Science (name to be modified)

Opportunity Provided by Recent Developments

• IPBES – An

Intergovernmental

Science-Policy Platform on

Biodiversity and

Ecosystem Services

• UNESCO likely to be chosen as one of the Platform’s co-hosts

• IPBES will not undertake research but assess current knowledge and promote further assessments

• A unique opportunity for promoting the equitable and transparent access to relevant, salient, timely, accurate and neutral information on biodiversity and ecosystem services for human well-being and development 25

Biodiversity-Specific Activities

UNESCO – an key international partner with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UNEP, SCOPE, Diversitas, Global Environment Facility…..

UNESCO – a full partner in the process to establish an Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) – similar to the IPCC for climate

UNESCO and the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 Fill the gaps in scientific knowledge – science policy conference Cultural dimensions of biodiversity - International Conference on Cultural and

Biological Diversity, Montreal Canada, June 2010 Raise awareness, educate and communicate on the vital importance of biodiversity:

high-level launch, travelling exhibition, biodiversity learning kit

Outcomes and Milestones – last quarter 2010 Executive Board -185th Session – UNESCO Biodiversity Initiative - intersectoral Tenth Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity Nagoya,

Japan, October 2010 – strategic plan, agreement on access and benefit sharing UN General Assembly: Decision on IPBES and Declaration of the UN Decade of

Biodiversity (2011-2020)

Directions for the future: 3 qualitative goals

•Strengthening capacity of member states, especially in the developing world, to engage in and contribute to data-intensive science;

•Providing more effective platforms for community engagement and experience sharing, including through activities at UNESCO sites;

•Enhancing awareness of member states in the value of freely sharing scientific data.

Specific ideas

• Convene information meeting at UNESCO for member states re the “case for sharing of international scientific data”

• Incorporate focus on “data intensive science” in our activities in support of strengthening higher education, esp. in Africa

• Integrate awareness raising activities into multiple ongoing UNESCO efforts, e.g. our collaboration with ICSU in prep for Rio + 20, our programs on “science for parliamentarians”, our work with member states on STI policy

• Incorporate data-intensive science activities in our science-education programs, including through our leadership role in the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development

• Utilize the platform of the newly announced IPBES to launch new activities on biodiversity data sharing, linking into our network of Biosphere Reserves. Access and Benefit Sharing protocol particularly exciting

Conclusions

• Significant opportunity to further strengthen UNESCO’s efforts in promoting more effective and equitable sharing of international scientific data

• New activities can be integrated into ongoing strategic directions

• Look forward to partnerships with a wide variety of allies

g.kalonji@unesco.org