Global meeting of national ethics committees to be held in Berlin in 2016

"Many ethical challenges of our time that are related to health care as well as clinical and life sciences research have a global dimension and require international responses. The protection of human beings and their livelihoods in this context is guided by universal human rights as well as the preservation of cultural diversity. It is a great honour for the German Ethics Council to contribute to the progress of international understanding in the field of bioethics by hosting the Global Summit", said Christiane Woopen, Chairwoman of the German Ethics Council, when she thanked the delegates for their confidence.

Over 100 delegates from national bioethics advisory bodies from more than 50 countries participated in the meeting in Mexico on 23rd and 24th June. They discussed the role and functioning of national ethics committees, new technologies in the health care sector, ways to achieve universal health coverage, as well as questions of research ethics relating to vulnerable groups, especially children. Other topics addressed the role of international organizations – including the European Council, UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission and the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) – and their interaction with bioethics advisory bodies at the national level.

The Global Summit 2016 will be prepared by the German Ethics Council together with a steering committee composed of representatives of ethics committees from all continents and the WHO secretariat for the Global Summit.

More detailed information on the 10th Global Summit in Mexico City on 23rd and 24th June 2014 can be found here.