Titel: International Ethical Standards of Biomedical Research on Human Beings

Termin: 1.12.2005, 15:00 Uhr, bis 2.12.2005, 18:00 Uhr

Veranstaltungsort:
SASA Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Novi trg 3
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Referenten: Dr. Jože Trontelj, M.D. (SASA, President of the Slovenian National Medical Ethics Committee) *** Dr. Jure Zupan (Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia) *** Dr. Boštjan Žekš (President of the Slovenian Adacemy of Sciences and Arts) *** Dr. Andrej Bručan (Minister of Health) *** Péteris Zilgalvis, J.D. (Head of Unit Ethics and Science in DG Research, European Commission) *** Laurence Lwoff, Ph.D. (Bioethics Department of the Council of Europe) *** Dr. Elmar Doppelfeld (Chairman, Steering Committee on Bioethics, Council of Europe) *** Dr. Maxime Seligman (French National Bioethics Council) *** Dr. Povl Riis (Past President, The National Bioethics Council, Denmark) *** Peteris Zilgalvis, J.D. (Head of Unit Ethics and Science in DG Research, European Commission) *** Dr. Eugenius Gefenas (Chairman, National Bioethics Committee, Vilnius, Lituania)

Kurzbeschreibung: History of biomedical experimentation on human subjects is tainted with many examples of serious abuse of human rights, often with disastrous consequences for persons involved. The situation has much improved in the recent decades, as a result of ethical guidelines and regulations, as well as obligatory ethical review of research on the one hand and the increasing awareness of human rights related to biomedical interventions on the other. In addition to national codes of ethics, a number of international instruments have been developed, ranging from guidelines and recommendations such as the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association (WMA) to regulations with a power of law, such as the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine with its Additional Protocol on Biomedical Research. However, ethical problems are still prevalent and the increasing pressure of growing demand for biomedical research, for example to test new drugs and novel medical technologies, gives rise to new ethical questions. Globalisation processes have made it easier to export ethically problematic research which would not be allowed in the country of its origin. For this reason, it is important to develop common ethical standards which countries could adopt and practise, irrespective of the large differences in their cultural background and stage of development.

In Europe, ratification of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine unfortunately proceeds less fast than expected. Until now, large and important countries, such as Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia, have not been able to accede to the Convention. One of the reasons is difficulty which the States have with some of the provisions, regulated in their internal law or practice in a different way. Furthermore, the Additional Protocol on Biomedical Research is open for signature and ratification only to those States that had previously ratified the Convention. These difficulties present a further obstacle to the development of harmonized legislation and practice regarding ethical issues of biomedical research across Europe.

Public understanding of scientific research in medicine and health care is limited, and public trust in science and scientists has, for several reasons, suffered a decrease during the recent decades. There is insufficient knowledge and understanding of a number of important aspects, including the historical background, significance of biomedical research for the advances in medicine and health care of individuals and communities, international documents concerning ethics of research on human subjects, and the rights of participants in research. Bodies concerned with ethics of research nationally and internationally, public media and the researchers themselves can do a lot to improve the public image of biomedical sciences. This too will be one of the important points of the symposium.

Kontakt: Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Novi trg 3
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
Tel.: +386 - (0)1 - 4 70 61 00
Fax: +386 - (0)1 - 4 25 34 23/39
sazu@sazu.si
http://www.sazu.si/

Veranstalter: Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, DEBRA Programme of the Council of Europe, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Repbublic of Slovienia

Wissenschaftliche Leitung: Dr. Jože Trontelj, M.D. (Chairman, NMEC; Vice-President, SASA), Tone Žakelj (Vice-Chairman, NMEC), Dr. Livija Tušar (Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology), ,