We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our cookies and for us to access these on your device. Find out more about how we use cookies and how to change your cookie settings. Development of the joint statement of purpose Background In recent years, many of the major funders of public health research have adopted policies on data sharing. International institutions and major medical journals have also made declarations about the importance of increasing access to public health data. In 2008, the World Health Organization and the Wellcome Trust initiated discussions about the development of a common Code of Conduct on the sharing of data of public health importance. The aim was to develop principles and targets that would meet the needs of researchers and science funders alike, while providing the flexibility for individual institutions to respond to different circumstances. The Wellcome Trust commissioned an analysis of obstacles to data sharing, which concluded that obstacles could be grouped into four major areas: incentive-related, capacity-related, ethical and technical. Together with the WHO, the Wellcome Trust convened a meeting held in London on 6 October 2008 to discuss potential ways of overcoming these obstacles. Epidemiologists and data managers from several continents gathered with a number of representatives from governments, international organisations and major funders of public health research. Together, they suggested core principles for a Code of Conduct. A draft version of the Code