Scientific Discrimination and Apartheid: Current International Law Approach and Existing Challenges

Despite the critical importance of science and knowledge in the international arena and the necessity of promoting science on a global scale, certain countries are now subjected to widespread scientific discrimination with detrimental effects. Known as scientific apartheid, this form of discrimination warrants careful consideration and calls for scientific and legal investigation. Hence, this study aims to identify legal challenges and gaps in international regulations and organizations. For this purpose, a descriptive-analytical approach is employed to address the following inquiries. What is the legal stance on scientific apartheid in international law? What challenges and gaps exist in this domain? According to the research findings, although laws and regulations have been implemented within the realm of international law to address scientific discrimination and apartheid, there are major gaps that must be taken into account. These gaps include UNESCO’s narrowed scope of activity, a broad and ambiguous definition of discrimination without specific examples provided, inadequate assurance of law enforcement, outdated and insufficient international legal provisions, the influence of certain countries in international organizations, and the absence of criminalization of scientific discrimination in international legal frameworks.