Between rights and regulation: Rethinking public participation through the lens of the human right to science.

Despite its recognition in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) since 1948, the right to science has remained considerably underdeveloped, both conceptually and institutionally. This chapter examines the dual dimensions of this right: the passive enjoyment of the benefits, applications, and outcomes of scientific progress, and the active participation of individuals and communities in the processes that guide scientific research, technological innovation, and related policy-making. Drawing on scholarship in Science and Technology Studies (STS), the chapter highlights how power asymmetries, socio-economic inequalities, and institutional silos restrict both access to scientific knowledge and involvement in decision-making. Thus, the right to science must be understood not merely as a guarantee of dissemination or access, but as a principle requiring inclusive governance structures capable of enabling diverse publics to deliberate, contribute, and contest scientific trajectories. To address these challenges, the chapter proposes the adoption of human rights indicators as a systematic means of monitoring progress, identifying disparities, and enhancing accountability across local, national, and transnational contexts. Indicators can help elucidate whether participation mechanisms are genuinely empowering or merely symbolic, and whether the benefits of scientific advancement are distributed equitably. By integrating legal analysis with insights from STS, the chapter argues for a model of participation that is structurally embedded, measurable, and democratically grounded, positioning the right to science as a key pillar in contemporary debates on responsible innovation and public engagement.