Bioethics and Self-Governance: The Lessons of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (original) (raw)
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Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 2009
As the technosciences, including genomics, develop into a worldwide, global phenomenon, the question inevitably emerges whether and to what extent bioethics can and should become a globalised phenomenon as well. Could we somehow articulate a set of core principles or values that ought to be respected worldwide and that could serve as a universal guide or blueprint for bioethical regulations for embedding biotechnologies in various countries? This article considers one universal declaration, the UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights , to which a special issue of Developing World Bioethics was dedicated. General criticisms made there are that the concepts used in the Declaration are too general and vague to generate real commitment; that the so-called universal values are not universal; and, that UNESCO should not be engaged in producing such declarations which are the domain of professional bioethicists. This article considers these and other criticisms in detail and presents an example of an event in which the Declaration was used: the request by the Republic of Sakha, in Siberia, for a UNESCO delegation to advise on the initiation of a bioethics programme. The Declaration was intended to provide an adequate "framework of principles and procedures to guide states in the formulation of their legislation, policies and other instruments in the field of bioethics" (article 2a) The Declaration was produced, and principles agreed upon, in an interactive and deliberative manner with world-wide 'expert' participation. We argue that the key issue is not whether the general principles can be exported worldwide (in principle they can), but rather how processes of implementation and institutionalisation should take shape in different social and cultural contexts. In particular broader publics are not routinely involved in bioethical debate and policymaking processes worldwide.
Global Health Governance the Scholarly Journal For the New Health Security Paradigm, 2011
UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005) was drawn up by an independent panel of experts (the International Bioethics Committee) and negotiated by member states. UNESCO aimed for a participatory and transparent drafting process, holding national and regional consultations and seeking the views of various interest groups, including religious and spiritual ones. Furthermore, reflecting UNESCO's broad interpretation of bioethics, the IBC included medics, scientists, lawyers and philosophers among its membership. Nevertheless, several potential stakeholders-academic scientists and ethicists, government policy-makers and NGO representatives-felt they had not been sufficiently consulted or even represented during the Declaration's development. Better communications and understanding within and between national, regional and international layers of governance would help to avoid a recurrence of this problem in future negotiations.
Bioethics in the Contemporary Global Paradigm
Introduction In the realm of health care, health science and health policy there is definite need for a shared reflection in relation to maintaining an ethical standard of health provision and also most importantly in the area of research and development, the subject of bioethics holds an imperative position (Center for Ethics and Humanities in Life Sciences, Michigan State University 2014). Bioethics involves a reflective process where the existing standard of ethical protocol is deliberated upon by the scientific community, along with the health care recipient population, general public, academia, media, political fronts, civil society groups, religious groups and any other concerned forum or individuals. It should be an inclusive process aiming at achieving the highest standard of ethics possible and the dissemination of knowledge to understand and deal with the nature of an ethical concern or issue becomes preliminary to its objective of achieving the highest standard of ethical practice. The availability of such a neutral space where the deliberation on ethical issues concerning health care, medical research and health policy is mostly a challenge as the authority of the scientific world over the general public usually dominates decision-making processes. Despite such power struggles in determining the highest standard of ethical practice, the discourse on bioethics in the present times have gained currency and the involvement of several pressure groups and vigilant civil society organizations have made the engagement more vibrant and organic with people‘s voices reaching the policy spaces especially through media and
Global Bioethics at UNESCO: In Defence of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
Journal of Medical Ethics, 2007
This paper argues in support of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights adopted by UNESCO on 19 October 2005. As a member of the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee (IBC), the author was involved in the drafting of this instrument. Drawing on this experience, he gives an overview of the principal features of the Declaration before responding to two general charges that have been levelled at UNESCO’s bioethical activities and at this particular document. One criticism is to the effect that UNESCO is exceeding its mandate by drafting such bioethical instruments – in particular, the charge is that it is trespassing on a field that lies within the responsibility of the WHO. The second criticism is that UNESCO’s reliance on a human rights framework is inappropriate.
As the technosciences, including genomics, develop into a worldwide, global phenomenon, the question inevitably emerges whether and to what extent bioethics can and should become a globalised phenomenon as well. Could we somehow articulate a set of core principles or values that ought to be respected worldwide and that could serve as a universal guide or blueprint for bioethical regulations for embedding biotechnologies in various countries? This article considers one universal declaration, the UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005), to which a special issue of Developing World Bioethics was dedicated. General criticisms made there are that the concepts used in the Declaration are too general and vague to generate real commitment; that the so-called universal values are not universal; and, that UNESCO should not be engaged in producing such declarations which are the domain of professional bioethicists. This article considers these and other criticisms in detail and presents an example of an event in which the Declaration was used: the request by the Republic of Sakha, in Siberia, for a UNESCO delegation to advise on the initiation of a bioethics programme. The Declaration was intended to provide an adequate ‘framework of principles and procedures to guide states in the formulation of their legislation, policies and other instruments in the field of bioethics’ (article 2a) The Declaration was produced, and principles agreed upon, in an interactive and deliberative manner with world-wide ‘expert’ participation. We argue that the key issue is not whether the general principles can be exported worldwide (in principle they can), but rather how processes of implementation and institutionalisation should take shape in different social and cultural contexts. In particular broader publics are not routinely involved in bioethical debate and policy-making processes worldwide.
Medicine and law, 2008
Since the coining of the term 'ectogenesis' by Haldane in 1924, we have witnessed sensational biotechnological triumphs such as in vitro fertilisation, the cloning of "Dolly" the sheep, and the publication of the human genetic code. These triumphs mix benefits with portents in one seamless package. The object of this article is to assess critically the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. It is argued that the Declaration is not a suitable international instrument for regulating biotechnology and protecting future generations. Finally, the feasibility of a legally binding international instrument based on a global consensus is evaluated.
The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
PubMed, 2008
The steps toward the adoption by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights took a number of years and generated considerable controversy. This editorial reviews the principal provisions in the Declaration and argues that the Declaration constitutes an important formalisation on the basis of international consensus of the fundamental attributes of bioethical work undertaken by medical practitioners and scientists. However, the Declaration is only a beginning; many challenges lie ahead to ensure its effective implementation.
Bioethics: History, Scope, Object
Global Bioethics, 1997
A comprehensive analysis of the evolving conditions that provided for the emergence and autonomization of the field of bioethical inquiry, as well as the social, cultural and political background against which its birth can be set, should enlighten us about the problematic nature that characterises it from its very onset. Those conditions are: abuses in experimentation on human subjects, availability of new biomedical technologies, the challenging of prevalent medical paradigms and the ultimate meaning and purpose of medical care, new scientific and social fields of concern dealing with ecology and environmental health, genetic engineering and biotechnologies, demographics, behavioural manipulation, reproductive medicine, etc., the upsurge of social movements raising issues of medical importance, and the need for an ethics for the technological age. The scope and meaning of bioethics is best defined by the overriding questions that open up the field of both theoretical and practical bioethical inquiry rather than by the individual responses given to such questions by the most prominent spokesmen in bioethics.
Bioethical decisions: The political context and challenges
Bioethics Quarterly, 1981
Rapid advances in biomedicine, accompanied by changing social values, are thrusting bioethical decision making into the political spectrum. This article examines the forces which are politicizing bioethical decisions and demonstrates the challenges they raise. It also presents an overview of the current political context and concludes that American political institutions and processes are not well-suited for dealing with these intense, sensitive bioethical issues.