UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights

Abstract

The concluding reflections of this book is anchored on the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, because the aim of the Declaration coincides with the critical aspect of the book which is guaranteeing the protection of the participants and host populations of developing countries in clinical research under the auspices of International Human Rights Law. The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights is seen as a logical extension of the principles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights that emphasizes the dignity and equality of all human persons. The UNESCO Declaration also extends the rights espoused in the previous UN Declaration to the evolving field of bioethics. The Declaration extensively links human rights and bioethics. The Declaration aims to accomplish the objective of safeguarding the protection of the rights of research participants and host population in developing countries by setting “global minimum standards in biomedical research and clinical practice.” The Declaration, ipso facto, aims “to guide the actions of individuals, groups, communities, institutions and corporations, public and private.” Most importantly, the Declaration prioritizes the principles of “human dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms” in its efforts to promote responsible biomedical research and clinical practice.