Academic Freedom and Global Cooperation: A Call to Safeguard Health and Well-Being Worldwide

The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), as part of the World Health Summit (WHS) Academic Alliance, is proud to share that the WHS Academic Alliance Declaration 2025, 'Academic freedom and meaningful international cooperation are needed to safeguard good health and well-being globally,' has been published in Nature Medicine.
Read the full declaration here 

This declaration, endorsed by the 28 member institutions of the WHS Academic Alliance — including universities and academies from all continents — highlights the fundamental role of academic freedom and global collaboration in advancing health equity and scientific progress.

Without academic freedom and genuine international cooperation, we cannot overcome global health challenges.
— WHS Academic Alliance Declaration, 2025

The statement underscores that safeguarding the independence of research and education is vital to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). It also calls for renewed commitments to multilateralism, evidence-based policy, and the global fight against misinformation that undermines trust in science.

The WHS Academic Alliance calls for action to:

1. Define, respect, and safeguard academic freedom
2. Strengthen international collaboration and multilateral institutions
3. Combat misinformation and rebuild trust in science

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the high cost of fragmented responses to global crises. This declaration urges governments, academic institutions, and civil society to unite behind science-based collaboration to ensure that health research benefits all global citizens.

The InterAcademy Partnership joins its WHS Academic Alliance partners in reaffirming its dedication to open science, global solidarity, and equitable health outcomes.