A/HRC/26/19 poorly coordinated. Moreover, quality control applied equally to peer-reviewed limitedaccess journals. G. Right to participation in the scientific enterprise 38. Moderated by Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, this panel focused on the right to participate in the scientific enterprise. Presentations were made by Abdulaziz Almuzaini (UNESCO), Hans Morten Haugen (Diakonhjemmet University College) and Jessica Wyndham (American Association for the Advancement of Science). 39. Mr. Almuzaini noted that UNESCO was created to promote United Nations values through global cooperation in education, science and culture. In 1993, UNESCO had developed a formal programme on bioethics, which was supported by extensive work in standard setting, including the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights (1997), the International Declaration on Human Genetic Data (2003) and the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005). After 2005, UNESCO had focused its efforts on the dissemination, promotion and application of the principles of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. 40. Mr. Haugen reviewed the norms applicable to the right to participation in relation to the right to food. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (2001), for instance, provided for States to protect and promote farmers’ rights, including the right to equitably participate in sharing benefits and to participate in making decisions at the national level on matters related to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. He noted that article 11, paragraph 2, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights obliged States to improve methods of production, conservation and distribution of food by making full use of technical and scientific knowledge and by disseminating knowledge of the principles of nutrition. He referred to general comment No. 12 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which interpreted the right to food as requiring the adoption of a national strategy to ensure food and nutrition security for all.9 According to the general comment, strategies adopted for that purpose required full compliance with the principles of accountability, transparency and people’s participation, among others. Mr. Haugen also discussed the Voluntary guidelines to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, which recommended that States take steps to ensure that members of vulnerable populations had access to opportunities and economic resources in order to participate fully and equally in the economy. Crucially, the guidelines also recommended that particular attention be paid to the specific access problems of women and of vulnerable, marginalized and traditionally disadvantaged groups.10 41. In her presentation, Ms. Wyndham stated that participation in science took various forms, namely, participation in political processes based on access to and understanding of scientific information, participation in decision-making on issues of personal relevance and issues pertaining to science policy and funding priorities, and participation in science as a researcher and as a research subject. As an example of good practice in ensuring 9 10 12 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 12 (1999) on the right to adequate food, paras. 21–23. Voluntary guidelines to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization Council at its 127th session, November 2004, guideline 8.5.