Ethics of Science and Technology Since its involvement in promoting international reflection on the ethics of life sciences in the 1970s, UNESCO continues to build and reinforce linkages among ethicists, scientists, policy-makers and civil society to assist Member States in enacting sound and reasoned policies on ethical issues in science and technology.

 

UNESCO pursues its ethical mandate in the two primary work areas of Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology, by performing the following major functions:

Laboratory of ideas – addressing the emerging ethical challenges by providing an intellectual forum for multidisciplinary, pluralistic and multicultural reflection on ethics of science and technology via the:

• International Bioethics Committee (IBC)
• Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC)
• World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST)
• Conference series: Ethics around the World

Standard-setter – pioneering normative action in bioethics:

• Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights (1997)
• International Declaration on Human Genetic Data (2003)
• Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005)

Clearing house – developing the Global Ethics Observatory (GEObs) – a free global repository of updated information on ethics institutions, experts, legislation, codes of conduct and teaching programmes around the world.

Capacity-builder – providing Member States with the necessary tools and technical support for the enhancement of their national ethics infrastructure:

• Assisting Bioethics Committees (ABC)
• Ethics Education Programme (EEP)

Catalyst for international cooperation – cooperating with key international stakeholders in the field of ethics of science and technology and fostering coordination among the major actors through the United Nations Inter-Agency Committee on Bioethics.

Photo: © CNRS Photobank, Jérôme Chatin

News

UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC) to meet in Mexico City  2009-10-28 9:00 pm UNESCO
The Sixteenth Session of UNESCO's International Bioethics Committee (IBC) will take place in Mexico City (Mexico) from 23 to 25 November 2009. Organized in cooperation with the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias of the Presidency of Mexico, it will be followed by a European Commission-UNESCO conference of experts and members of national bioethics committees from around the world from 26 to 28 November. Initially planned for last May, the two meetings were postponed due to the A(H1N1) flu epidemic.
El Salvador establishes National Bioethics Commission  2009-08-10 9:00 am UNESCO
The Republic of El Salvador has established a National Bioethics Commission. The Commission has been created by decree of the Minister of Public Health and Social Assistance.
Sixth Ordinary Session of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology in Malaysia  2009-05-25 7:00 am UNESCO
At the kind invitation of the Government of Malaysia, the Sixth Ordinary Session of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) was held in Kuala Lumpur, from 16 to 19 June 2009. It focused mainly on science ethics, and on the ethical implications of climate change.
Development of Nanotechnologies: a Key Debate in the Arab States  2009-05-11 2:00 pm UNESCO
An important meeting on nanotechnologies and development in the Arab States, which was held from 18 to 19 May 2009, in Doha (Qatar), has provided an opportunity for participants to consider the modalities of implementation of the ethical guidelines and policies which COMEST addressed to UNESCO Member States in 2007.
Draft Report on Ethical Implications of Global Climate Change - Call for Comments  2009-04-17 10:00 am UNESCO
This draft report has been authored by the working group on environmental ethics of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST). Its aim is to serve as a point of departure for discussion among members of the scientific community of UNESCO, the NGOs working with UNESCO and Member States of UNESCO on the ethical challenges posed by global climate change.
Just published: "Report of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee on consent"  2008-12-05 1:00 pm
The Report of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC) has just been published as the first issue of a new series. The latter intends to effectively and broadly disseminate IBC’s reflection and deliberations on specific principles of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005). Thus, it aims to foster reflection and facilitate action of stakeholders concerned.

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