The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), has announced that it will make its digital publications available to millions of people around the world free-of-charge with an open license. Following a decision by the Organisation's Executive Board in April, UNESCO has become the first member of the United Nations to adopt such an Open Access policy for its publications.
The new policy means that anyone will be able to download, translate, adapt, distribute and re-share UNESCO publications and data without paying. Janis Karklins, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, announced the new policy during the opening of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum in Geneva on May 13.
By adopting this new publishing policy, UNESCO aligns its practice to its advocacy work in favour of Open Access and strengthens its commitment to the universal access to information and knowledge.
Starting from July 2013, hundreds of downloadable digital UNESCO publications will be available to users through a new Open Access Repository with a multilingual interface. All new publications will be released with an open license. UNESCO will also seek ways to apply it retroactively, i.e. to works already published. If UNESCO enters into special agreements with publishing partners the Open Access policy need not apply. Co-publishers will be strongly encouraged to adhere to the requirements of the new policy.
The new publishing policy is in line with UNESCO's Open Access to Scientific Information Strategy and its main components as well as its work on Open Educational Resources and Free and Open Source Software.
