The International Science Council (ISC) is working together with science funders to bring together insights and ideas from the scientific community to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

IFLA, on behalf of its members in academic and research libraries, continues to support the development of open access policies and infrastructures (appropriate metrics, production of materials, trainings), and to build the capacity all institutions of all sizes, globally, to support sustainable transformations promoting access to science.

In its response to the ISC survey, IFLA underlines the importance of the development of open science approaches to facilitate and support cross-border cooperation, knowledge equity, and the availability and discoverability of research papers and publications for all, in particular vulnerable communities.

In particular, a key part of any strategy towards open access in support of the SDGs will be a wider effort to promote equity and inclusion throughout the research process.

On COVID19, IFLA encourages measures to facilitate access for researchers to carry on their work, in particular where resources are not available electronically. The development of coherent and cross-border rules to provide remote access for researchers would provide significant additional help in this regard.