The World Data System for universal and equitable access to scientific data.

This paper reviews the World Data System (WDS), which is a multidisciplinary structure of the International Council for Science. This system is intended to support a coordinated global approach to scientific data and information. It operates as a set of portals that are connected to a common database of metadata, which contains the details about information resources of organizations that are part of the WDS. The activities of the International Council for Science, which is the oldest international organization in the field of science and initiates, develops, and coordinates joint initiatives, such as large-scale international interdisciplinary research programs, in collaboration with its sister organizations, are briefly described. This paper explores the participation of the Russian World Data Centers as integral parts of the WDS that are created and supported by the International Council for Science in the international cross-disciplinary effort of effective cooperation and coordination that are aimed at collecting, analyzing, storing, and managing scientific knowledge and at ensuring open and full access to such knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]