During the World Copernican Congress in Toruń, ministers responsible for scientific research from Poland, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Iraq, Malta, Rwanda, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom signed the Toruń Declaration. 

“As the ministers responsible for the conditions of scientific research in our states, on the 550th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus, we declare to take all measures to ensure the freedom to conduct scientific research as well as the freedom of scientific criticism and debate”, says the declaration.

The signatories stressed that scientific research can only be carried out under conditions of full freedom to conduct such activities, unrestricted publication of the results of such research, but also unrestricted in any way, the possibility of subjecting the published research results to honest and critical scientific debate.

“It is only in such an atmosphere that the true development of science, and consequently the development of nations and states, is possible”, wrote the ministers.