WSIS Action Line: C3 Access to information and knowledge: “Investing in Equitable Knowledge Access: Diamond Open Access”

Summary

This discussion focused on democratizing access to knowledge through diamond open access publishing and the right to information, as part of the WSIS Action Line on access to information and knowledge. UNESCO representatives emphasized that access to scientific knowledge is a global necessity that drives innovation and sustainable development, yet remains deeply unequal due to expensive paywalls that particularly affect institutions in the Global South. The session explored diamond open access as a solution, which allows authors to publish and readers to access research freely through public funding and community-driven frameworks, contrasting with traditional subscription models and gold open access that shift costs to authors.

UNESCO’s global consultation on diamond open access collected insights from over 2,900 stakeholders across 92 member states, revealing that equity, feasibility, and cost-saving were the most valued benefits, while funding and recognition remained the biggest challenges. The discussion highlighted alarming cost increases in traditional publishing, with European subscription prices tripling in recent years and gold open access expenditures reaching 8.3 billion euros between 2019-2023. Representatives from IFLA emphasized libraries’ crucial role in providing public access to information, particularly for underserved populations without connectivity, and their involvement in negotiating with publishers and supporting open access initiatives.

The International Federation for Information Processing raised important questions about how artificial intelligence will transform information access, suggesting that traditional library models must evolve as knowledge becomes increasingly born-digital and accessible through AI systems. Participants discussed successful diamond open access implementations in Latin America, France, and Indonesia, demonstrating that government support and institutional collaboration are essential for sustainable models. The session concluded with recognition that the information landscape has fundamentally changed, requiring new policies and approaches that move beyond traditional business models to ensure equitable access to knowledge in the digital age.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **Diamond Open Access Model as an Alternative to Costly Publishing**: The discussion extensively covered diamond open access publishing, which allows authors to publish and readers to access research freely without paywalls or author processing charges. This model is presented as a solution to the expensive subscription and gold open access models that create barriers, particularly for institutions in the Global South.

– **UNESCO’s Role in Monitoring Access to Information Laws (SDG 16.10.2)**: UNESCO serves as the custodian agency for monitoring the implementation of access to information laws globally. Through annual questionnaires sent to member states, UNESCO tracks progress from 62 responding countries in 2019 to 125 in 2024, emphasizing both adoption and implementation of these laws.

– **Libraries as Critical Infrastructure for Information Access**: The role of libraries, particularly public and academic libraries, was highlighted as essential for providing equitable access to information, especially for underserved populations without private internet access. Libraries serve as community spaces that remove barriers like subscriptions and paywalls while supporting open access initiatives.

– **Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Traditional Information Access**: The discussion addressed how AI and large language models are fundamentally changing how people access information, potentially making traditional library cataloging and indexing systems obsolete, and requiring new policies for digital natives who will use AI rather than traditional library resources.

– **Global Inequalities in Scientific Knowledge Access**: A central theme was addressing the disparity between developed and developing nations in accessing scientific research, with much publicly-funded research remaining behind expensive paywalls, reinforcing global inequalities in scientific participation and policy-making.

## Overall Purpose:

This session was part of the WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) Action Line on Access to Information and Knowledge, aimed at exploring how to democratize access to scientific knowledge through diamond open access models and broader right-to-information frameworks. The discussion sought to gather insights for the WSIS+20 review and develop policy recommendations for creating more equitable, sustainable knowledge-sharing systems globally.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a collaborative and forward-looking tone throughout, with speakers building upon each other’s points constructively. The tone was professional yet urgent, emphasizing the need for systemic change in how scientific knowledge is accessed and shared. While acknowledging significant challenges (high costs, global inequalities, technological disruption), the overall sentiment remained optimistic about solutions like diamond open access and the potential for international cooperation to create more equitable knowledge systems. The tone became slightly more urgent toward the end when discussing AI’s disruptive impact and the need to adapt policies for future generations.

Speakers

– **Davide Storti**: From UNESCO, session moderator for the WSIS action line session on access to information and knowledge

– **Zeynep Varoglu**: UNESCO senior program specialist in charge of access to information, participated online

– **Marius Lukosiunas**: From UNESCO, works on SDG 16.10.2 (access to information laws) as UNESCO is the custodian agency for this indicator

– **David Oliva Uribe**: UNESCO consultant specializing in diamond open access and scientific communication research

– **Maria de Brasdefer**: Representative from the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA)

– **Anthony Wong**: President of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), formerly worked with Thomson Reuters on digital transformation

– **Participant**: Student studying in France, asked questions about diamond open access implementation

Additional speakers:

None identified beyond the speakers names list provided.

# Summary: WSIS Action Line Session on Access to Information and Knowledge

## Introduction and Context

This discussion formed part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Action Line session on access to information and knowledge, moderated by Davide Storti from UNESCO. The session brought together international experts to examine how to democratise access to knowledge through diamond open access publishing and broader right-to-information frameworks.

The participants included Zeynep Varoglu from UNESCO’s Open Science team, Marius Lukosiunas from UNESCO’s Communication and Information sector, David Oliva Uribe from Science Europe, Maria de Brasdefer from the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and Anthony Wong from the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP).

## Access to Information as a Universal Right

Zeynep Varoglu opened by emphasising that “access to scientific knowledge is not a luxury, it’s a global necessity that drives innovation, supports sustainable development, and informs public policy.” She highlighted that current access remains deeply unequal, with publicly funded research locked behind expensive paywalls that particularly affect institutions in the Global South.

Marius Lukosiunas reinforced this rights-based approach by highlighting UNESCO’s role as custodian agency for SDG 16.10.2, which monitors implementation of access to information laws globally. He reported that 139 countries have adopted such laws, and UNESCO’s questionnaire responses expanded from 62 countries in 2019 to 125 in 2024. He also mentioned UNESCO’s support for the International Day of Universal Access to Information, which now features over 124 national celebrations, and their capacity building efforts through MOOCs.

## The Crisis of Current Publishing Models

David Oliva Uribe presented concerning statistics about the unsustainable costs of traditional academic publishing. He reported that European subscription prices tripled between 2019 and 2023, rising from 0.5 billion euros to 1.5 billion euros. Meanwhile, gold open access expenditures reached 8.349 billion euros globally between 2019-2023, demonstrating that shifting costs from libraries to authors has not resolved the fundamental affordability crisis.

This economic burden was illustrated by a student participant from France, who shared personal experience of facing 20-euro charges for individual scientific articles—a cost that creates significant barriers for researchers with limited resources.

## Diamond Open Access as a Solution

The discussion extensively explored diamond open access as an alternative model that allows authors to publish and readers to access research freely without paywalls or author processing charges. This approach relies on public funding and community-driven frameworks rather than commercial subscription or fee-based models.

UNESCO’s global consultation on diamond open access collected insights from over 2,900 stakeholders across 92 member states. Varoglu reported that equity, feasibility, and cost-saving were the most valued benefits, whilst funding and recognition remained the biggest implementation challenges. She noted that the full UNESCO report will be published at the end of the month.

David Oliva Uribe highlighted successful implementations in various regions, noting that countries like France and several Latin American nations are implementing diamond open access through government support and university collaboration. He specifically mentioned that Indonesia has over 6,000 diamond open access journals and highlighted institutions like Red Alec and CLACSO as promoting diamond open access in Latin America. He also referenced the European Diamond Capacity initiative led by Science Europe.

## The Role of Libraries

Maria de Brasdefer from IFLA emphasised libraries’ crucial role in providing equitable access to information, particularly for underserved populations without private internet access. She explained that libraries historically operate on open access principles, removing barriers like subscriptions and paywalls whilst serving as community spaces that democratise information access.

Libraries support open access initiatives through multiple mechanisms: maintaining open repositories, guiding researchers toward open access platforms, negotiating with publishers for lower subscription fees, and establishing funds through research grants to support open access publishing. Brasdefer argued that access to information laws should specifically mention libraries rather than including them under broad “community spaces” terminology.

## Technology and Future Considerations

Anthony Wong from IFIP provided perspective on how technology is transforming information access. He noted that IFIP was founded by UNESCO in 1960 and now has 13 technical committees with 100 working groups and over 6,000 professionals. IFIP offers a digital library at ifip.org with more than 20,000 freely accessible documents.

Wong observed that most publications are now available through large language models and noted that China is introducing AI education in primary and secondary schools, suggesting future students may primarily use AI rather than traditional library resources. He also mentioned possibilities like virtual reality and avatars providing new ways to access knowledge, whilst emphasising the need to balance technological capabilities with ethical considerations about protecting sacred and indigenous knowledge.

## Balancing Openness with Protection

Wong highlighted that some indigenous knowledge should be sacred and protected rather than freely accessible, requiring careful balance in access policies. Maria de Brasdefer acknowledged this complexity whilst emphasising libraries’ role in promoting multilingual knowledge and preserving traditional and indigenous knowledge in communities.

## Key Commitments and Next Steps

The session generated several concrete commitments. UNESCO committed to publishing the full report on diamond open access consultation findings at the end of the month. Participants were invited to contribute views for the WSIS+20 review process. IFIP offered to contribute to policy discussions on AI’s impact on information access.

Varoglu synthesised the discussion by noting that “it can’t be business as usual,” acknowledging that traditional approaches are no longer sufficient in the digital age. The session demonstrated both the urgency of current information access challenges and the potential for collaborative solutions through diamond open access models, library support, and technological innovation.

## Conclusion

This WSIS Action Line session successfully connected policy principles with concrete implementation examples and personal experiences. The discussion highlighted the need for sustainable funding models for diamond open access, the crucial role of libraries in democratising access, and the importance of adapting to technological change whilst respecting cultural boundaries around certain types of knowledge.

The success of existing implementations in various countries provides evidence that alternative models are achievable when institutional support and policy frameworks align. As participants prepare for the WSIS+20 review, this discussion provides a foundation for developing policies that can democratise access to knowledge whilst maintaining the flexibility to adapt to technological and social change.

Davide Storti: waiting yes yes so we can start and welcome to this very early morning session and thank you for being here this is a session which is a is a what is called an action line session uh as part of the WSIS action plan so there is a several action line and this line is particularly called the access to information and knowledge action line and which is quite a transversal one because you can’t maybe achieve anything of the other action lines without access to information uh and data so I’m pleased to have with me um so this is Davide Storci from UNESCO first of all and I’m pleased to have with me a few speakers distinguished speakers from IFLA, Maria Bradefer, having online there is my colleague Zeynep Varoglu a senior program specialist in charge of access to information uh Mr. Marius Lukoszny was also from UNESCO, Mr. Anthony Wong from the information Federation of Information Processing and uh Mr. David Oliva-Uribe was also our consultant at UNESCO on on these issues so without further ado I’d like to to give the floor to um to start uh to my colleague Zeynep Varoglu who is online.

Zeynep Varoglu: Thank you Davide, thank you very much and welcome to all the participants, welcome dear colleagues, dear friends to the session on democratizing digitizing knowledge through diamond-open access and the right to information. Access to scientific knowledge is not a luxury, it’s a global necessity. It drives innovation, supports sustainable development, and informs public policy. At UNESCO, we see access to knowledge as a public good, yet today access remains deeply unequal. Much scientific knowledge, especially when publicly funded, remains locked behind expensive paywalls out of reach for many researches and institutions, particularly in the global South. It’s limits who can participate in science and policymaking, reinforcing global inequalities. To address this, UNESCO promotes Open Solutions, a portfolio that includes open educational resources, open data, free and open-source software, and open access to research. These digital public goods break down barriers, foster inclusive innovation, and build fair and resilient knowledge societies. Diamond-open access is central to this vision. It allows authors to publish and readers to access research freely. Based on public funding and community-driven, multilingual, non-commercial frameworks, diamond-open access turns aspiration to action, building a knowledge ecosystem rooted in equity, openness, and sustainability. This approach aligns with WISE’s Action Line D3, which recognizes access to information and knowledge as universal rights and fundamental to inclusive development. It urges stakeholders to promote affordable public access through open archives and scientific information. Open access removes cost barriers and empowers communities to share knowledge freely. In the context of the Global Digital Compact, openly shared scientific knowledge functions as a true digital public good. accessible, interoperable, and governed in the public interest. This strengthens the digital ecosystems that underpin innovation and collaboration worldwide. Today, we’ll explore how policy frameworks, shared infrastructure, and international cooperation can promote and sustain Diamond Open Access. We’ll draw on key findings from UNESCO’s Global Consultation on Diamond Open Access, which collected insights from over 2,900 stakeholders across 92 member states. These findings will inform policymaking and guide investments in interoperable, community-led publishing platforms, critical to expanding equitable knowledge access, especially in underrepresented regions. But Diamond Open Access is only part of the picture. It must be placed within the broader right to information, as articulated in SDG 1610, which calls for public access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms through enabling legislation. Access to information laws, often called freedom of information laws, provide legal mechanisms for citizens to seek and receive government-held information. This fosters transparency, accountability, and meaningful democratic participation. True access to information goes beyond passive availability. It requires proactive disclosure, open data policies, media freedom, digital connectivity, and the removal of legal, institutional, and technological barriers. It also demands inclusivity, ensuring marginalized groups such as women, persons with disabilities, and rural communities are not left behind. UNESCO, as a custodian of Indicator 1610-2, monitors global progress on Diamond Open Access. access to information frameworks. We support member states in creating legal environments, building capacity, and sharing best practices. Our data collection and reporting to the United Nations help keep access to information central to global development. In closing, diamond open access and the broader right to information are two complementary pillars that advance inclusive knowledge societies where citizens are empowered, governments are accountable, and sustainable development thrives. I trust that our discussions this morning will be both rich and productive as we explore ways to strengthen these foundations and build a more open and equitable future for knowledge world. Thank you.

Davide Storti: Thank you very much Zeynep. I think you highlighted the different dimensions that are involved in this, in making information accessible from the people, the infrastructure, the laws, the various dimensions that are enabled living in this to happen. And we’ve taken one of these dimensions, I would like to now involve Maria de Pallaferro. She’s from the International Federation of Library Associations, IFLA. So, I mean, who best placed to tell us how access to information is actually brought to life, to life. So, IFLA.

Maria de Brasdefer: Yes, thank you David. And well, I think to start the first thing that I would like to say, and perhaps if you’re familiar to the world of libraries, but something that we always start by saying when we come to this space is that at IFLA we have also realized that that, especially also because most of the access to information today is done online. We always try to continue to advocate for the importance of public access to information despite the existence of private access. This is one of the things that we always mention because this is something that libraries do a lot, particularly for populations who don’t necessarily have access or to connectivity. So this is something that we always want to take forward. And then also, if we talk, for example, about what your colleague mentioned about, for example, SDG 1610-2, that refers to the access to information laws, and something that we see a lot in libraries also is that while there’s a lot of countries who have access to information, in some way have embedded community spaces like libraries in access to information laws. Something that we also want to highlight is that we also find important that the word library is not buried under the policy in those types of laws. So for example, in some of the documents in these countries, libraries are not necessarily specifically mentioned, but they are mentioned broadly as community spaces. And so then there’s, yeah, they can get a little bit in the way. So I think this is also something that we consider very important and highlighting in terms of that, yeah, enabling or following on that line in SDG. And of course, we also think that to improve perhaps following up on that SDG with library support, we would also think, well, it would be more important that more countries perhaps would create and also enforce these policies that guarantee the right to access to information. And we also think the library network could have a big role in it, because after all, they have been historically linked with access to information. And it’s also something that we really want to encourage people from being aware that they can rely on. on this network for that. And that is how relevant it is also for people, particularly in under-served regions, or particularly for the ones who are not connected. And then also, if we go on to talk a little bit about open access, so more in terms of the, on the diamond open access model, for example, what I see relevant in that term is perhaps that when libraries tend to operate on open access models already and they tend to also often remove costly barriers to access to information, like for example, subscriptions, paywalls, this is also something that they commonly do. And particularly public and academic libraries, they have a big role in this and they also have a big story of promoting scientific and open knowledge and also by making information accessible to everyone. So we do think that perhaps also libraries could be, continue to support this model by, continue to maintain open repositories, perhaps also support journals that use the diamond open access model. And perhaps also continue to guide local researchers towards publishing in open access platforms and teaching open science skills, which is also something that we know a lot of, particularly academic libraries are doing now. And yeah, in a way, also replicating the model of what they already do with media and digital literacy skills, which is also something that they tend to do a lot, but perhaps offer workshops and teach researchers about open licenses, for example, like Creative Commons. And another role I also think about is the promotion of multilingual knowledge and communities research and also perhaps preservation of traditional and indigenous knowledge, which is also something that we see libraries in a way are doing in a lot of regions. So they are fulfilling this, a need that is already there in the community, but that, yeah, people haven’t found another way to fulfill it other than through these types of institutions. And then I don’t know if I still have some time.

Davide Storti: Well, maybe, thank you, Maria, maybe we’ll. We continue this conversation. I think it’s quite important. Before getting to Antony, I would like to take the opportunity because we just spoke about SDG 1610-2 and online we have my colleague Marius who, you know, UNESCO is the custodian agency for this SDG particularly. So, I would like to give the floor to Marius for telling us more about how this action line actually is, what it’s doing in terms of access to information and access

Marius Lukosiunas: to information laws. Marius? Thank you Davide. Good morning colleagues in Geneva. A very quick update on where UNESCO stands vis-à-vis SDG 1610-2 which is the adoption of access to information legal guarantees. So, as it has been mentioned UNESCO is a custodian agency for this particular indicator and our main efforts are aimed to first evaluate the situation to monitor the situation with access to information laws and the implementation and here I have to say that it is a very important addition. It’s not just the adoption of the laws but also it’s the implementation. So, first we are monitoring. Based on that monitoring what we are doing we are drawing and important recommendations to the member states especially in the field of access to information implementation of the laws and here is why. First, maybe I’ll continue a little bit with monitoring. How do we do the monitoring? Every year we are launching a questionnaire. Last year which is going to the member states. We’ve started in 2019, and we had only 62 countries responding to our questionnaire. In 2024, we have 125. So basically, through that questionnaire, we collect the major information, and then we translate that information, that data, into the report with the recommendations I’ve mentioned. I think that the result of participation of the member states is quite good. We have above 120 member states responding. So that shows that this is an important issue for the member states. That also provides us with ample data to draw some recommendations. To compare, of course, we have more than 190 member states. So nearly two-thirds are part of that process. Now, I will mention a few recommendations which stem from our data. So for example, we have clearly established, and that is the recommendation which addresses the issue of implementation. We have clearly established the link between the number of access to information requests, and number of adjudicated requests, and the existence of the dedicated oversight body. So this is just one of the examples. I’m not going to go into more of the recommendations we provide through this monitoring and reporting exercise. Now, the next thing which I wanted to touch on is regarding the promotion of the adoption of the laws. That is another very important area UNESCO is engaged and now we have, as of end of 2024, we have 139 countries which adopted that law. And I think it is another very important number because it clearly shows to us that from one hand there is a fundamental understanding among the member states that the right to information, which is the core, the central right within the access to information policies and practices and different infrastructures, the right to information can be best protected by the law. And also it shows that to a certain extent many member states recognize that right as such, which is another, I think, important theoretical dimension of the whole process. So UNESCO, we are actively, as I’ve mentioned, we are actively promoting the adoption and we mainly do it through the organization of the celebration of access to information, International Day of Universal Access to Information. It is a UN day and we are celebrating it on the 28th of September. All in all, we’ve had more than, every year we are having more than close to one to 30 national celebrations. And also we are organizing a big global conference where we discuss with our stakeholders, information commissioners, human rights commissioners, journalists, media, academia, libraries. We discuss different aspects of this whole issue. For example, last year’s IDU-I was mostly focusing on access to big data and other digital aspects of the process. So all in all, as I’ve said, since 2018, we have organized about 124 national celebrations and of course every year we have a global conference which is mentioned. So this is the second dimension I wanted to add to reporting and monitoring and our custodianship role. And the third dimension, of course, all over the world upon the request of the member states, we provide technical expertise in order to assist member states in drafting legislation policies and so on and so forth. And in addition, we’ll have a few MOOCs which provide capacity building for access to information professionals who want to increase their knowledge in the field. So this is a quick summary of what UNESCO does in order to cohesively push for the implementation for the expansion of SDGC.

Davide Storti: 16.10.2. Thank you and back to you, Davide. Thank you very much, Marius. I think you mentioned two important things in my view. One is the monitoring of the access information through the SDG 16.10.2, which is one important dimension overall discussed in the WSIS review, particularly how to monitor the progress. Second, you mentioned the International Day for Universal Access to Information, which is, as you said very well, is an example of multi-stakeholder participation, how to bring in all the participants, the actors that are involved in access to information. So talking about professionals of information, I’ll give the floor to Mr. Wang, who is the president of the International Federation for Information Professionals. So, Mr. Wang.

Anthony Wong: Thank you. Thank you, Davide, and thank you to UNESCO for the invitation for this intervention on access to information and knowledge. For those of you who do not know about IFIP, just a quick intro. IFIP was founded by UNESCO in 1960 in Paris, and its mission statement in brief is the responsible development and deployment of ICT. That’s in brief. So we have 13 technical committees looking from AI education, social impact of technologies, communication networking to very hardcore technical subjects on technology. In that 13 technical committees, we have 100 working groups with more than 6,000 scientists and professionals working in those fields from five continents. around the world. So we have an extensive library and publication with Springer. So if you go to our new website, which is ifip.org, there is a main menu with our digital library, which is freely accessible to anyone logging in. There are more than 20,000 full-text documents, journals and publications online, all freely available. So I’m very glad to mention that’s the IFIP professional contribution to this particular UN agenda, which is a very important step forward. So please to go to ifip.org and look at the digital library, which has been there for many years and it’s growing every day. So what I’d like to talk about in my intervention is looking at the topic, access to knowledge, but the, how it was framed is to do with journals, printed books and digital access. And part of the, during the Q&A, if I may, Davidi, to look at with the impact of artificial intelligence, how that’s going to impact this particular action line in terms of his thinking, because we need to look towards the future. Recently, I had this insight when I moderated a chair, a panel for the Sarawak government in Borneo, part of Malaysia. We did a panel with the State Library of Sarawak with the staff and the leaders to look at how AI is going to impact on the way that libraries work, how people access the knowledge and data, considering a lot of data now is born digital, as never printed. So the whole concept of library, we need to change. and evolve the way we catalog our books and index our publication. If we have charged GDP and Lama, do we need to index things and how we index things? And I’m sure that all the 20,000 publication in the IFIP digital library would now be in most, in most large language models that you use. So all that knowledge will be accessible through one of the generative AI models today. So the way we think and how we structure our discussion, I think Davide and UNESCO would need to change because we need to create new policies. I was fortunate to work with you Davide on Monday, when we look at AI and the impact on competencies for teachers and students. I think that is also an agenda that we need to look at in terms of this UNESCO action line, because I can see drastical changes, not only impacting on the jobs of professionals working libraries, but how students and public will access the library in the future. We also have things called virtual reality coming avatars. So if we can have indigenous elders narrating their wisdom and culture online as an avatar, which does not need categorising and indexing in the library, teaching people about their knowledge and wisdom. So I know indigenous things is part of the ambit of UNESCO. So one of the access to information is a great thing to expose all these things to the world. But we also need to look at the risks, because there are some knowledge of indigenous population, which should be sacred and protected rather just freely accessible. So that’s my short intervention. Thank you.

Davide Storti: So thank you very much. I think, I mean, what I hear is that Exactly. It’s the intersection of this action line with the many other action lines. I mean, indigenous knowledge, traditional knowledge, of course, is also part of the action line C8 on culture, cultural diversity, there is multilingualism, etc. So it’s very interesting. So now I would like to go a little bit more deeper into the research and and going to the maybe the diamond open access model. And I would like to give the floor to Mr. David Oliva-Uribe online, who will be telling more about this research work that UNESCO has done recently. Thank you.

David Oliva Uribe: Hello, everybody. And let me share my screen. Good morning in Geneva to all participants. And just let me be sure that you can see my screen. David, can you confirm, please? Yes. Okay, perfect. So thank you very much. So I am a consultant at UNESCO. And my colleagues say in a better glue, she’s the coordinator of the of the portfolio and open solutions. And well, today, I would like just to make a reflection on the importance of scientific communication and diamond open access. In many cases, sometimes it is addressed that scientific communication is like a site action, but but it’s not, it’s actually a very relevant part of the scientific research process. And this has to be value and everything that is related to the communication through scientific journals through books through any kind of communication is very important, because ensures the knowledge is shared, validated and built on. So dissemination and communication of the of the scientific results is very, very important. And we have been having an evolution of the scientific models. I think most of you are familiar that we have been passing from subscription models where it was cost represented a significant barrier and then we were evolutionary to have more access and there arise gold open access where it was improved visibility but the shift cost from the subscription from the libraries to the authors and this is represented to the institutions and at the end to the governments and in the recent years we have been a transition into what it’s called a transformative agreements which yes it expands access it gives a little bit more room for negotiation on the cost for authors but still it is very limited or very difficult for less resourced regions to get access to it so at this very moment we have a very high cost in these three models and now what we are facing is opportunity to move to a new model that it’s called diamond open access that has been around especially in the global south for example in latin america has been already for almost 20 years where it is free for reading free for publishing and of course the cost it is in the infrastructure there is is not free in terms that somebody has to cover the cost but for the users those who read and host who publish is without cost but what do we specifically speak when we say high or low regarding cost just let me give you some quick information so in 2019 the european university association reported that the subscription prices in europe and for the the countries that represents the european university association the cost was around 0.5 billion euros and there was an increase in average more than 3% per year in the cost of subscriptions for many of the big journals. And the forecast at that time for 2023 were that the costs were almost 1.5 billion euros. So in a very short time, the costs of subscription were tripled. And then we spoke about gold open access. And what does it mean for gold open access? That we thought, okay, now there is more opportunity for dissemination that readers can access to these journals. But the cost was, again, passed to the authors. And when we say the author, it’s the institution that financed those researchers. And in a report for the annual APC expenditure, it is stated that between the 2019 and 2023 for gold and hybrid open access, the spend was 8.349 billion euros. So that means 80 times what is the budget, for example, for Horizon Europe Research Program. Just the cost for France, we are talking about this has also increased three times, and it represents 30 million euros. So when we are passing now to the UNESCO consultation on diamond open access, we really wanted to understand. And we launched a consultation, we got around 2,900 responders from 92 member states, and we got more than 3,000 qualitative comments. Let me just very shortly go through some of the key highlights. We got a very rich participation, multilingual, and the responses were submitted in Spanish, English, mostly. But the regional disparities underlined the importance of inclusive outreach and moving forward. Also, we got a very wide response about researchers. librarians, and international actors such as funder policymakers. We noted that the contribution for publishers and academic societies confirmed their participation. They are like intermediate players between the governments and the funding agencies and the researchers. And these patterns underscore the importance of fostering inclusive dialogue, which is very, very important for Diamond Open Access. What we had in the consultation is that we saw that equity, feasibility, and cost-saving were the most frequently experienced benefits. And also, what is very key is that the respondents also addressed that funding and recognition are still persisting the biggest challenges. So this is very important to underscore that institutional engagement really plays a crucial role in alleviating the promoting and implementation of Diamond Open Access. Just a very last slide is that the respondents, they are overwhelmingly expect a global framework and social equity goals are highly valued, particularly multilingual access, participation of underrepresented groups, and reduction of systematic barriers. So together, all these findings, we can really reflect for a call for more inclusive, collaborative, and equitable scholarly communication framework. Just for communication, at the end of this month, we will have the full report that will be published by UNESCO, and you will find all the information on this topic. So I will stop sharing here, and this is my contribution. Thank you very much.

Davide Storti: Thank you very much, David, for this precise insights. So now I would like to maybe open a discussion, if you have any comments from participants. Please, introduce yourself.

Participant: Okay. I don’t know if, okay, yeah, it works. Well, I just wanted to, I didn’t know anything about this Diamond New Access Program, and I honestly think that it’s very enriching, especially for students. I study in France, and I know that from my university, it’s very expensive to access to articles, scientific articles. I know that for PhD students, to be able to access to a specific article can cost about 20 euros, which is very, very expensive, and we actually had to get rid of many subscriptions because of the cost of it. So I’m really glad that this is going on specifically in the Global South, where obviously countries have less wealth and, like, in general, funding for these type of programs. I just had a quick question. How does these, how can we, I don’t know how to explain it. How can countries put this in place? Do we have a specific example of a country that is already implementing this Diamond Open Access, and can I have, like, an example of it? Yes. Shall I respond?

Davide Storti: Yes, please. Thank you.

Participant: Okay. Yes, there are many countries that at the moment are working towards establishing. So how does Diamond Open Access work? In the Global South, for example, in Latin America, it started by universities. Universities, especially in the faculties of social science and humanities, they have this kind of situation and barriers that you mentioned, and what they decide is to get together, to put a common infrastructure, to gather some talent and to establish a journal or a service for Diamond Open Access, which has been really working for more than 20 years. Now, you have institutions like Red Alec, like CLACSO, that they are promoting and giving services to host journals for Diamond Open Access. In the case of Europe, France is one of the most advanced countries establishing Diamond Open Access. And this is receiving direct support from the Ministry of Higher Education, and also through the French National Research Agency, who are placing resources to invest in infrastructure. Because the most important here is that, at the moment, the traditional publishing system is hosted by private companies. And now it’s the role of the governments to establish national policies. For example, in France, they have a national policy for open science, which also includes Diamond Open Access. And through this, they are supporting infrastructure to have hosting of digital services, but they also collecting talent to give the services of editorial reviewing and other roles. So this is what is happening now. And it’s happening, for example, also in Indonesia. Indonesia has more than 6,000 Diamond Open Access journals. So it is common. And now we are focusing on UNESCO to gather all the insights to really have the possibility to permeate or to agree on a global framework. Thank you very much.

Davide Storti: Is there any other question? If otherwise, I’d like to ask a question to Maria about IFLA, you know, how does, you know, we heard about the cost, which is a barrier, which was mentioned just now to the access and how our library is actually coping with that, because I think this is a major issue for libraries.

Maria de Brasdefer: Yes, that is true. It is a big issue that. libraries are dealing with and I think well there’s two main ways I think in which libraries are coping with it and the main one or very traditional ways library sometimes negotiate a lot with publisher it’s in terms of subscriptions and because also this is something that they have been historically doing particularly in some countries they tend to negotiate lower fees for acquiring more amount of content or subscription to scientific journals so this is something they do a lot particularly academic libraries and another thing that I believe also happens very often is through research grants I believe also libraries and institutions they also sometimes establish some of the specific funds also to support open access initiatives and and through those initiatives they sort of like include article processing charges and they also invite researchers to to use those and those are the most common ones but I think the the diamond model is also very interesting and I yeah I wonder if there’s also a lot of libraries who are already benefiting or from that model as well but those are the most two common ways in which they they usually do it

Davide Storti: thank you very much I don’t know if it’s David or Zeynep if you have any idea in terms of responding to Maria’s questions on libraries involvement in this discussion on open access diamond open access yes yes please yes we have to

David Oliva Uribe: close yes yes they are benefiting in different regions for example in the case of Europe there is a new initiative called the European diamond capacity half which is led by different countries and they are liaising directly with with libraries and one of the institutions that is leading this is Science Europe So, maybe this is an initiative that you would like to know. I don’t know, Senepe, do you want to have a final comment?

Zeynep Varoglu: I just wanted to underscore the importance of the ecosystem, of the libraries, the institutions working together. And the fact that is just to bring together also the remarks of Dr. Wang, in the fact that we are really in another space now. And we have here with us, we have IFLA, which has been with UNESCO since 1960, I think. And, I’m sorry, not IFLA, IFIP has been with UNESCO as far as a consultative partner since 1960, if I’m correct. And IFLA is also a very close partner of UNESCO for many years. But the situation has changed. And I think what this discussion has brought out is how all institutions are changing the way that they’re looking at meeting the new challenges. And I think it can’t be business as usual. And that’s what we’ve been saying, basically, for the last 45 minutes. It’s not business as usual. And all of us are working in different ways to be able to really take advantage of the good sides of everything that’s happening. As Dr. Wang pointed out, we’re able to access more information. But there needs to be some sort of structure and it needs to be really in our benefit. So, I think that we’ve had, it’s the voices plus 20 discussion we’re having right now. And I think it is really very clear that access to information has turned into something else. Because we can access more. We can access, we’re not even sure what information we’re accessing sometimes and where it’s coming from. The costs are different. The models are different. The survey that David presented shows that there’s a need for people to access it still in spite of all these developments. And we are in, the game has changed. but everyone is also reacting to this and addressing it. So I think it’s very revelatory.

Davide Storti: Thank you very much, Zeynep. I think that shows again the transversality of this action line impact. For example, you mentioned the issues that I would link to information integrity, which we discussed a couple of days ago in action line 10 about media new dimension. So maybe I’m really sorry we have to conclude because they are very short sessions, but I would like to give a last word to Mr. Wang because he mentioned exactly this future. And I think the most important lesson from this session is our messages for the WSIS plus 20 review. So we should not forget about it. So I invite you also to come to me or send your own views or points or whatever highlights you would like to stress for this review because the WSIS forum is the place where to do that, especially now, particularly for this action line now. Mr. Wang.

Anthony Wong: Thank you, Davide. Just quickly, yesterday I was at a forum here and it was mentioned that China is introducing AI education to primary and secondary schools. So if you think about what the students are gonna do, they’re not gonna access the library for your publication. They’re gonna use AI to find information that they need to do what they’re supposed to be doing. So I urge all the library and the association and people making policies to start thinking about policies for the children coming up rather than for the oldies who are used to the old traditional way. That’s all I’d like to comment. I is happy to help. I use, if you don’t know, I used to work for five years with Thomson Reuters. and I was instrumental in doing their first digital transformation from paper to digital. So I’m very happy and IFIP is very happy to contribute to that discussion. Thank you.

Davide Storti: Thank you very much for your participation in this session which is now over. Thank you so much. Thank you to the speakers and I’d like to thank also my colleagues online, particularly Zeynep Varoglu and Marius for their organization of this session. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Have a good day. Bye-bye. Thank you. Goodbye. Bye-bye.

Agreement points

Access to information is a fundamental right and public good essential for development

Speakers

– Zeynep Varoglu
– Marius Lukosiunas
– Davide Storti

Arguments

Access to scientific knowledge is a global necessity that drives innovation and sustainable development

Access to information is recognized as a universal right fundamental to inclusive development under WSIS Action Line D3

139 countries have adopted access to information laws, showing fundamental understanding that the right to information can be best protected by law

Access to information is a transversal action line that is fundamental to achieving other WSIS action lines

Summary

All speakers agree that access to information is not just beneficial but essential – it’s a fundamental human right that drives innovation, sustainable development, and is necessary for achieving other development goals. The widespread adoption of access to information laws by 139 countries demonstrates global recognition of this principle.

Topics

Human rights principles | Development

Current access to scientific knowledge is inequitable and costly, creating barriers particularly for developing regions

Speakers

– Zeynep Varoglu
– David Oliva Uribe
– Participant

Arguments

Current access remains deeply unequal with publicly funded research locked behind expensive paywalls, particularly affecting the Global South

Subscription costs have tripled in recent years, with European universities spending 1.5 billion euros by 2023

Gold open access shifted costs from libraries to authors, representing 8.349 billion euros globally between 2019-2023

High subscription costs create significant barriers for students, with individual articles costing up to 20 euros

Summary

There is strong consensus that the current system of academic publishing creates significant financial barriers that disproportionately affect developing countries, students, and institutions with limited resources. The costs have escalated dramatically, making access to publicly funded research increasingly difficult.

Topics

Development | Economic | Digital access

Diamond open access offers a viable solution to knowledge inequality

Speakers

– Zeynep Varoglu
– David Oliva Uribe

Arguments

Diamond open access allows free publishing and reading based on public funding and community-driven frameworks

UNESCO’s global consultation with 2,900 stakeholders from 92 countries shows equity, feasibility, and cost-saving as main benefits of diamond open access

Countries like France, Indonesia, and Latin American nations are successfully implementing diamond open access through government support and university collaboration

Summary

Both speakers strongly advocate for diamond open access as a solution that enables free publishing and reading while being based on public funding and community-driven frameworks. The UNESCO consultation provides evidence of broad international support for this model.

Topics

Development | Digital access

Libraries play a crucial role in providing equitable access to information

Speakers

– Maria de Brasdefer
– Anthony Wong

Arguments

Libraries historically provide public access to information, particularly for populations without connectivity or private access

Libraries operate on open access models and remove costly barriers like subscriptions and paywalls

IFIP provides free access to over 20,000 full-text documents through their digital library at ifip.org

Summary

Both speakers recognize libraries and library-like institutions as essential infrastructure for providing equitable access to information, particularly for underserved populations. They demonstrate this through both historical context and concrete examples of free access provision.

Topics

Digital access | Development

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers see libraries and educational institutions as key implementers of diamond open access, with libraries providing both infrastructure support and educational guidance while countries demonstrate successful implementation through institutional collaboration.

Speakers

– Maria de Brasdefer
– David Oliva Uribe

Arguments

Libraries can support diamond open access by maintaining open repositories and guiding researchers toward open access platforms

Countries like France, Indonesia, and Latin American nations are successfully implementing diamond open access through government support and university collaboration

Topics

Development | Digital access

Both speakers acknowledge that technological changes, particularly AI, are fundamentally transforming how information is accessed and that institutions must adapt their approaches to meet these new challenges.

Speakers

– Anthony Wong
– Zeynep Varoglu

Arguments

AI is drastically changing how people access knowledge, with most publications now available through large language models

The situation has changed and all institutions are changing the way that they’re looking at meeting the new challenges

Topics

Development | Digital access

Both speakers emphasize the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement in promoting access to information, using the International Day for Universal Access to Information as a successful example of bringing together diverse actors.

Speakers

– Marius Lukosiunas
– Davide Storti

Arguments

UNESCO promotes adoption of access to information laws through International Day of Universal Access to Information with over 124 national celebrations

Multi-stakeholder participation is essential for access to information initiatives, as demonstrated by the International Day for Universal Access to Information

Topics

Human rights principles | Development

Unexpected consensus

Need to protect certain types of knowledge from open access

Speakers

– Anthony Wong
– Maria de Brasdefer

Arguments

Some indigenous knowledge should be sacred and protected rather than freely accessible, requiring careful balance in access policies

Libraries play a role in promoting multilingual knowledge and preserving traditional and indigenous knowledge in communities

Explanation

Despite the overall push for open access, both speakers recognize that some knowledge, particularly indigenous and traditional knowledge, requires protection rather than open sharing. This represents a nuanced understanding that open access principles must be balanced with cultural sensitivity and respect for sacred knowledge.

Topics

Cultural diversity | Human rights principles

Fundamental transformation needed in traditional information access methods due to AI

Speakers

– Anthony Wong
– Davide Storti

Arguments

Traditional library indexing and cataloging methods need to evolve considering AI capabilities like ChatGPT

The WSIS Plus 20 review requires new approaches because the landscape of access to information has fundamentally changed

Explanation

Both speakers, despite coming from different perspectives (technology and policy), agree that traditional approaches to information access are becoming obsolete and that fundamental changes are needed. This consensus on the need for transformation is significant given their different professional backgrounds.

Topics

Development | Digital access

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrate strong consensus on core principles: access to information as a fundamental right, the inequity of current systems, the promise of diamond open access, and the crucial role of libraries. There is also emerging agreement on the need to adapt to technological changes while protecting sensitive knowledge.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with constructive alignment. The speakers complement each other’s perspectives rather than conflict, creating a comprehensive view that spans legal frameworks, practical implementation, technological adaptation, and cultural sensitivity. This strong consensus suggests favorable conditions for collaborative policy development and implementation of diamond open access initiatives.

Different viewpoints

Approach to indigenous knowledge protection vs. open access

Speakers

– Anthony Wong
– Zeynep Varoglu
– Maria de Brasdefer

Arguments

Some indigenous knowledge should be sacred and protected rather than freely accessible, requiring careful balance in access policies

Access to scientific knowledge is a global necessity that drives innovation and sustainable development

Libraries play a role in promoting multilingual knowledge and preserving traditional and indigenous knowledge in communities

Summary

Wong argues for protecting sacred indigenous knowledge from open access, while Varoglu advocates for broad access to knowledge as a necessity, and Brasdefer sees libraries as promoters of indigenous knowledge access without addressing protection concerns

Topics

Cultural diversity | Human rights principles | Development

Future relevance of traditional library systems vs. AI-powered access

Speakers

– Anthony Wong
– Maria de Brasdefer

Arguments

Traditional library indexing and cataloging methods need to evolve considering AI capabilities like ChatGPT

Libraries can support diamond open access by maintaining open repositories and guiding researchers toward open access platforms

Summary

Wong questions the continued relevance of traditional library cataloging and indexing in the AI era, while Brasdefer emphasizes libraries’ ongoing role in supporting open access through traditional methods

Topics

Development | Digital access | Digital standards

Unexpected differences

Generational shift in information access methods

Speakers

– Anthony Wong
– Maria de Brasdefer

Arguments

China is introducing AI education in primary and secondary schools, suggesting future students will use AI rather than traditional library access

Libraries historically provide public access to information, particularly for populations without connectivity or private access

Explanation

Unexpected disagreement on whether traditional library services remain relevant for future generations, with Wong arguing for AI-first approaches while Brasdefer maintains libraries’ continued importance for underserved populations

Topics

Online education | Development | Digital access

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed relatively low levels of fundamental disagreement, with most speakers aligned on core principles of open access and information rights. Main disagreements centered on implementation approaches, the balance between openness and protection of sacred knowledge, and the future role of traditional institutions in an AI-dominated landscape.

Disagreement level

Low to moderate disagreement level with significant implications for policy development – while speakers agree on goals, different approaches to implementation could lead to fragmented or conflicting policies, particularly regarding indigenous knowledge protection and the evolving role of libraries in digital transformation

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers see libraries and educational institutions as key implementers of diamond open access, with libraries providing both infrastructure support and educational guidance while countries demonstrate successful implementation through institutional collaboration.

Speakers

– Maria de Brasdefer
– David Oliva Uribe

Arguments

Libraries can support diamond open access by maintaining open repositories and guiding researchers toward open access platforms

Countries like France, Indonesia, and Latin American nations are successfully implementing diamond open access through government support and university collaboration

Topics

Development | Digital access

Both speakers acknowledge that technological changes, particularly AI, are fundamentally transforming how information is accessed and that institutions must adapt their approaches to meet these new challenges.

Speakers

– Anthony Wong
– Zeynep Varoglu

Arguments

AI is drastically changing how people access knowledge, with most publications now available through large language models

The situation has changed and all institutions are changing the way that they’re looking at meeting the new challenges

Topics

Development | Digital access

Both speakers emphasize the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement in promoting access to information, using the International Day for Universal Access to Information as a successful example of bringing together diverse actors.

Speakers

– Marius Lukosiunas
– Davide Storti

Arguments

UNESCO promotes adoption of access to information laws through International Day of Universal Access to Information with over 124 national celebrations

Multi-stakeholder participation is essential for access to information initiatives, as demonstrated by the International Day for Universal Access to Information

Topics

Human rights principles | Development

Key takeaways

Access to information is a universal right and public good that requires multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments, libraries, institutions, and international organizations

Diamond open access model offers a viable solution to knowledge inequality by providing free publishing and reading access, contrasting with expensive subscription and gold open access models that create barriers especially for the Global South

Current publishing costs are unsustainable – subscription costs have tripled in recent years with European universities spending 1.5 billion euros by 2023, while gold open access represents 8.349 billion euros globally

Libraries play a crucial intermediary role in democratizing access to information, particularly for underserved populations without connectivity, and can support diamond open access through repositories and researcher guidance

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how people access knowledge, requiring new policies and approaches as traditional library methods become less relevant for future generations

UNESCO’s global consultation with 2,900 stakeholders from 92 countries demonstrates strong international support for diamond open access, with equity, feasibility, and cost-saving identified as main benefits

139 countries have adopted access to information laws, showing global recognition of the legal framework needed to protect information rights

The intersection of access to information with other issues like indigenous knowledge protection, multilingual access, and digital literacy requires careful balance and inclusive policies

Resolutions and action items

UNESCO will publish the full report on diamond open access consultation findings at the end of the month

Participants are invited to contribute views and highlights for the WSIS+20 review process

IFIP offers to contribute to policy discussions on AI’s impact on information access, drawing on their experience with digital transformation

UNESCO continues monitoring global progress through SDG 16.10.2 with annual questionnaires to member states

Libraries should continue supporting diamond open access by maintaining open repositories and guiding researchers toward open access platforms

Unresolved issues

How to balance open access with protection of sacred and indigenous knowledge that should remain restricted

Funding and recognition challenges for diamond open access implementation remain the biggest obstacles

Need for new policies to address how AI will impact traditional library and information access methods

How to ensure access to information laws specifically mention libraries rather than burying them under broad ‘community spaces’ terminology

How to create sustainable global framework for diamond open access while addressing regional disparities

How to prepare education systems and policies for students who will primarily use AI rather than traditional library access methods

Suggested compromises

Develop inclusive dialogue between all stakeholders including publishers, academic societies, governments, and funding agencies as intermediate players

Create national policies for open science that include diamond open access support, as demonstrated by France’s approach

Establish collaborative infrastructure through university partnerships and government support, following successful models in Latin America and Indonesia

Balance proactive disclosure and open data policies with protection of sensitive indigenous knowledge through careful policy design

Combine traditional library services with new AI-enabled access methods to serve both current and future user needs

Access to scientific knowledge is not a luxury, it’s a global necessity. It drives innovation, supports sustainable development, and informs public policy. At UNESCO, we see access to knowledge as a public good, yet today access remains deeply unequal.

Speaker

Zeynep Varoglu

Reason

This opening statement reframes the entire discussion by establishing access to knowledge as a fundamental right rather than a privilege. It introduces the concept of knowledge as a ‘public good’ and immediately highlights the inequality problem, setting up the moral and practical framework for the entire session.

Impact

This comment established the foundational premise for all subsequent discussions. It shifted the conversation from technical considerations to ethical imperatives, influencing how other speakers framed their contributions around equity and accessibility rather than just technological solutions.

Recently, I had this insight when I moderated a chair, a panel for the Sarawak government in Borneo… If we have charged GDP and Lama, do we need to index things and how we index things? And I’m sure that all the 20,000 publication in the IFIP digital library would now be in most, in most large language models that you use.

Speaker

Anthony Wong

Reason

This comment introduced a paradigm-shifting perspective by questioning the fundamental assumptions about how knowledge will be accessed in the AI era. Wong challenged the traditional library and indexing models, suggesting that AI might make current access mechanisms obsolete.

Impact

This intervention fundamentally altered the discussion’s trajectory from focusing on current access models to considering future disruptions. It prompted other speakers to acknowledge that ‘the game has changed’ and forced a reconsideration of traditional approaches to knowledge access and preservation.

We also have things called virtual reality coming avatars. So if we can have indigenous elders narrating their wisdom and culture online as an avatar, which does not need categorising and indexing in the library… But we also need to look at the risks, because there are some knowledge of indigenous population, which should be sacred and protected rather just freely accessible.

Speaker

Anthony Wong

Reason

This comment introduced crucial complexity by highlighting the tension between open access principles and cultural sensitivity. It challenged the assumption that all knowledge should be freely accessible, introducing ethical considerations about sacred and protected knowledge.

Impact

This observation added a critical dimension to the discussion, forcing participants to consider that access to information isn’t just about removing barriers but also about respecting cultural boundaries. It connected the technical discussion to broader issues of cultural preservation and indigenous rights.

In 2019 the european university association reported that the subscription prices in europe… were around 0.5 billion euros… And the forecast at that time for 2023 were that the costs were almost 1.5 billion euros. So in a very short time, the costs of subscription were tripled.

Speaker

David Oliva Uribe

Reason

This comment provided concrete, shocking data that quantified the scale of the access problem. The dramatic cost escalation (tripling in just four years) made the abstract concept of ‘expensive access’ tangible and urgent.

Impact

These statistics gave weight and urgency to the theoretical discussions about diamond open access. The concrete numbers helped justify why alternative models are necessary and provided a compelling economic argument that resonated with the student participant who later shared their personal experience with expensive article access.

I just had a quick question… I study in France, and I know that from my university, it’s very expensive to access to articles, scientific articles. I know that for PhD students, to be able to access to a specific article can cost about 20 euros, which is very, very expensive.

Speaker

Participant (Student)

Reason

This personal testimony from a student provided a human face to the statistical data presented earlier. It demonstrated the real-world impact of access barriers on the next generation of researchers and scholars.

Impact

This intervention grounded the entire discussion in lived experience, making the abstract policy discussions concrete and personal. It validated the urgency of the problems being discussed and demonstrated that the issues affect real people in their daily academic work.

I think it can’t be business as usual. And that’s what we’ve been saying, basically, for the last 45 minutes. It’s not business as usual… The game has changed. but everyone is also reacting to this and addressing it.

Speaker

Zeynep Varoglu

Reason

This synthesizing comment captured the essence of the entire discussion, acknowledging that traditional approaches to knowledge access are no longer sufficient in the digital age. It recognized both the disruption and the adaptive responses occurring across institutions.

Impact

This comment served as a powerful synthesis that tied together all the previous discussions about AI disruption, cost challenges, and institutional changes. It provided a framework for understanding the session as being about fundamental transformation rather than incremental improvements.

Overall assessment

These key comments collectively transformed what could have been a technical discussion about publishing models into a comprehensive examination of the future of knowledge access. The session began with Varoglu’s moral framing of access as a public good, was disrupted by Wong’s AI-focused future vision, grounded by Oliva Uribe’s economic data and the student’s personal experience, and synthesized by Varoglu’s acknowledgment of fundamental change. The most impactful dynamic was how Wong’s AI-centric perspective forced all participants to reconsider their assumptions about traditional knowledge access mechanisms, while the economic data and personal testimony provided urgency and human relevance to these futuristic considerations. The discussion evolved from presenting solutions (diamond open access) to questioning whether current frameworks will remain relevant, ultimately concluding that the entire ecosystem of knowledge access is in transformation.

How can countries implement Diamond Open Access and what are specific examples of countries already implementing it?

Speaker

Participant (student from France)

Explanation

The participant wanted concrete examples and implementation pathways for Diamond Open Access, which was answered with examples from Latin America, France, and Indonesia

How are libraries benefiting from the Diamond Open Access model?

Speaker

Maria de Brasdefer (IFLA)

Explanation

Maria wondered about libraries’ involvement and benefits from Diamond Open Access, which was partially addressed by David Oliva-Uribe mentioning the European Diamond Capacity initiative

How will artificial intelligence impact access to information and knowledge, particularly regarding libraries and traditional information access methods?

Speaker

Anthony Wong (IFIP)

Explanation

Wong raised concerns about how AI will fundamentally change how people access information, suggesting the need for new policies focused on future generations rather than traditional methods

How should policies be developed for children who will use AI for information access rather than traditional library systems?

Speaker

Anthony Wong (IFIP)

Explanation

Wong emphasized the need to create policies for students who will primarily use AI tools rather than traditional library resources, citing China’s introduction of AI education in primary and secondary schools

How can indigenous knowledge be protected while still promoting access to information?

Speaker

Anthony Wong (IFIP)

Explanation

Wong highlighted the tension between open access principles and the need to protect sacred indigenous knowledge that should not be freely accessible

What are the key messages and recommendations for the WSIS+20 review regarding access to information?

Speaker

Davide Storti (UNESCO)

Explanation

Storti called for participants to provide input for the WSIS+20 review, indicating this as an important area requiring further input and research