Understanding the nature and scope of the right to science through the Travaux Préparatoires of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The human right to science is perhaps one of the most relevant rights in modern times, yet it remains one of the least understood human rights to this day. This article examines the drafting history of the right to science to provide fresh insights into the nature and scope of the right in the context of Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Rights and Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The procedural drafting history of the right is analysed to conclude that there was virtually no opposition to the right at any point between 1946 and 1966, but states failed to reach agreement on the precise nature and scope of the right and it is argued that such imprecision has affected the impact of the right in the intervening decades.