https://doi.org/10.25547/86P5-WQ84
Lisez-le en français
This observation was written by Brittany Amell, with special thanks to INKE Partner Jessica Dallaire-Clark, (Senior Coordinator, Open Access Development, Érudit) for reviewing an earlier version, and for providing comments.
At a Glance
| Topic Area | 2nd Global Summit on Diamond Open Access |
| Key Participants | University of Cape Town, participants from 73 countries, PKP, Érudit |
| Timeframe | 11-13 December 2024 |
| Tags | open science / science ouverte, open social scholarship / approches sociales des savoirs ouverts, open access / libre accès, diamond open access / le libre accès diamant, credibility / crédibilité, events and gatherings / événements et rassemblements |
Summary
This report offers a brief recap of the 2nd Global Summit on Diamond Open Access, held from 11–13 December 2024 at the University of Cape Town. The summit convened 1,171 participants (546 in-person, 625 virtual) from 73 countries, with a notable representation from the Global South and African nations. Sessions were delivered in multiple languages including English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili. The Toluca – Cape Town Declaration on Diamond Open Access, presented at the Summit, is also included, as are the key takeaways listed in a post-Summit report released by organizers.
Recap of the 2nd Global Summit on Diamond Open Access
The 2nd Global Summit on Diamond Open Access, held from 11–13 December 2024 at the University of Cape Town, brought together a diverse international community of scholars, publishers, policymakers, and advocates to advance the principles and practices of equitable, community-led open access publishing. The summit was a centerpiece event among a week of coordinated gatherings, including the “Open Science in the South” conference and specialized workshops on open publishing and open monographs.
According to a post-Summit report released by organizers, the total number of attendees (both in-person and virtual) was 1171. This included 546 in-person attendees and 625 virtual registrations. Languages represented included English (421 delegates), French (71 delegates), Portuguese (19 delegates), Spanish (31 delegates), and Swahili (3 delegates).
In terms of countries represented, a total of 73 countries were present. Of this number, 36 were African countries, and 41 were considered global south countries.
The conference opened with a global round of messages from representatives of each continent, underscoring the universal relevance of Diamond OA and the shared ambition for a just, inclusive scholarly communication system. The keynote by Prof. Linda Tuhiwai Smith emphasized the decolonial imperative in academic publishing and the vital role of community ownership and Indigenous knowledge.
Themes of decolonization, inclusivity, and public good were prominent throughout. For instance, in Sessions 2, 3, and 4 speakers from South Africa, Colombia, Norway, India, and beyond explored how Diamond OA can advance social justice by dismantling barriers to participation and representation in global research. Case studies illustrated regional initiatives that embody these values.
Sessions 5 through 9 turned to ecosystems and research assessment within diamond OA and innovation, addressing the sustainability of Diamond OA platforms. Presenters highlighted collaborative models, federated repositories, and regional hubs—particularly in the Global South—that are reshaping scholarly publishing. The need for robust, interoperable infrastructure was emphasized as a precondition for resilience and equity.
Several talks offered detailed perspectives on how traditional metrics can be reimagined to support the growth of Diamond OA. Discussions emphasized the alignment of assessment practices with open values, particularly in contexts where commercial indicators have long distorted research incentives.
The summit concluded with working groups and a closing plenary aimed at synthesizing discussions into a shared framework for Diamond OA assessment and sustainability
The event closed with a reflection by Dr. Reggie Raju and a traditional South African braai, symbolizing the spirit of collaboration and community that defined the summit. As the conversations move into concrete policy and infrastructural action, the 2025 DOA Summit will likely stand as a critical milestone in the global push toward equitable open access.
Toluca – Cape Town Declaration on Diamond Open Access
In addition, the Toluca—Cape Town Declaration on Diamond Open Access was presented and discussed (see: Appendix 1 of the Summit Report). The declaration reflects a unified global commitment to reshaping scholarly communication in service of the public good.
Figure 1. Toluca – Cape Town Global Declaration on Diamond Open Access
The text of the declaration reads as follows:
2nd Global Summit on Diamond Open Access
8 – 14 December 2024
Toluca – Cape Town Declaration on Diamond Open Access
Following the 2023 Toluca Global Summit, we, the 2024 Cape Town Global Summit participants, affirm that sharing knowledge is a human right.
As such, scholarly knowledge must be a public good. It must be accessible to all communities, including readers and authors, without barriers and paywalls. Participation in knowledge production and communication must be free of prejudice and bias.
In line with the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, Diamond Open Access is community-owned, community-led, and non-commercial.
Social justice, equity, and inclusivity are fundamental to Diamond Open Access, enabling it to be a driver of decolonisation and demarginalisation.
We commit to regional and language diversity in scholarly communication. The implementation of Diamond Open Access needs to be tailored to address both local and global challenges and supported by systems of research assessment.
Other Key Takeaways
The post-conference report released by conference organizers summarizes 10 key takeaways—each one is listed below.
- Epistemic Justice and Reframing Narratives: A strong call for decolonizing research, with an emphasis on amplifying marginalized voices and challenging colonial biases in academic publishing.
- Legitimacy and Citizen Engagement: Open science must be driven not just by institutions but also by active citizen involvement, ensuring disadvantaged groups have a voice in knowledge creation and dissemination.
- Historical Contexts in Open Access: Open access should be understood as a matter of power and privilege, addressing historical inequalities in research access.
- Sustainability and Equity: The financial sustainability of open access publishing must ensure equity, with transparent agreements supporting long-term, culturally inclusive publishing infrastructures.
- Exclusion through Publishing Models: The commercialization of academic publishing, particularly through pay-to-publish models and metric-driven evaluations, perpetuates exclusion and reinforces systemic inequalities.
- Global Access as a Right: Open science is framed as a human right, with a call for a shift away from profit-driven publishing to a model that benefits humanity and prioritizes equitable access.
- Addressing Global Inequities: The financial burden of publishing, particularly for researchers in the Global South, highlights the need for support for local knowledge and journals to promote more inclusive access.
- Collaborative Infrastructure for Sustainability: Building non-commercial, sustainable publishing infrastructure is vital for ensuring that open access remains grounded in equity and social justice.
- Reimagining Research Assessment: Research evaluation systems need to evolve from a “papercentric” model to one that values diverse contributions, especially from underrepresented regions.
- Urgency for Reform: There is a pressing need for systemic change in research assessment and publishing practices to dismantle colonial legacies and promote inclusive, equitable academic structures.
(“Summit Report” 2024)
Taken together, these insights form a call to action for institutions, funders, scholars, and policymakers. Realizing the full potential of Diamond Open Access demands not only technical solutions but also a sustained commitment to equity, community engagement, and structural reform. The summit’s takeaways offer both a critique of the status quo and a roadmap toward a more just and inclusive scholarly ecosystem.
Responses from the INKE Partnership
“It was my pleasure to represent Érudit and Coalition Publica at the Cape Town Summit. It was truly a joyous experience to gather with so many colleagues from around the world to share both our diversity and our common challenges. It really made me reflect on our privileged position in Canada where our conversation about sustainable Diamond Open Access focuses less on “if” and more on “how.” In that respect, I believe that we can play a role by proudly declaring that we believe Diamond OA to be the most equitable and sustainable model for global access to knowledge. We did this with Public Knowledge Project last fall, when we published Coalition Publica’s statement on Diamond Open Access. We were also proud to sign the Toluca-Cape Town Declaration at the close of the Summit. We will continue to stand with our national and international colleagues to advance Diamond OA.”
Jessica Dallaire-Clark, Senior Coordinator, Open Access Development, Érudit
References
“Programme – 2nd Global Summit on Diamond Open Access.” 2024. https://doasummit.uct.ac.za/programme/.
“Summit Report – 2nd Global Summit on Diamond Open Access.” 2024. https://doasummit.uct.ac.za/summit-report/.