Announcing the Global Diamond Open Access Alliance

Context

The Diamond Open Access (Diamond OA) publication model has emerged as a transformative force in the scholarly publishing landscape, challenging the increasingly inequitable and unaffordable current system of knowledge dissemination. Diamond OA has attracted considerable support in recent years from both governments and scholarly communities. In line with the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, it marks a significant departure from other open-access models as it ensures that research outputs are freely accessible while eliminating financial burdens for authors and readers. A distinctive feature of Diamond OA is its community-driven approach, since all contents are owned and led by the scholarly community, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability amongst all stakeholders.

At the 1st Global Summit on Diamond Open Access, held in Toluca, Mexico, on 23-27 October 2023, over 688 attendees from 75 countries and 457 institutions appealed to make Diamond OA the new benchmark for scholarly communication. The summit also called for the establishment of a coordinating mechanism to advance the global agenda for Diamond OA. UNESCO was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the planning and development of an inclusive mechanism to facilitate this process.

Launch of an inclusive and transparent dialogue

Wednesday 10 July, 15:00-16:00 (CEST)
Simultaneous translation in English, French and Spanish

Agenda

1. Welcoming remarks   

Tawfik Jelassi – Assistant Director General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO.

2. Diamond Open Access and the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science

Lidia Brito, Assistant Director General, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO.

3. Purpose of the Global Diamond Open Access Alliance 

Bhanu R Neupane, Advisor for Communication and Information, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO.

4. Diamond Open Access – A view from Africa 

Alice de Fátima Pinto de Ceita e Almeida, State Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation of the Government of Angola.

5. Diamond Open Access – A view from France 

(TBC) Marin Dacos, Coordinateur national de la science ouverte, Auprès de la Directrice générale de la recherche et de l’innovation et de la Directrice générale de l'enseignement supérieur et de l'insertion professionnelle, Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, France.

6. Diamond Open Access – A view from Europe

Lidia Borrell-Damián, Secretary General of Science Europe.

7. Diamond Open Access – A view from Latin America 

Arianna Becerril-García/Eduardo Aguado López, Redalyc/Amelica, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico

8. Diamond Open Access – A Reflection 

Jean-Claude Guédon, Professeur honoraire, Faculté des arts et des sciences, Département de littératures et de langues du monde, Université de Montréal, Canada.

9. Q&A 

Event Moderator: Ana Persic, Programme Specialist, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO