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Scientific policy advice in the field of bioethics has become increasingly important in Germany since the mid-1980s. This is due to developments in the life sciences which, for example in the field of genetic engineering, open up new options for action that are difficult or impossible to handle with existing legal regulations. To some extent, these developments challenge human self-understanding and create a genuine need for ethical guidance. In a pluralistic society there is no generally accepted moral authority, so that such orientation can only be gained through public discourse. Therefore, the bioethical debate is no longer conducted only by experts and politicians as part of the legislative process, but has been placed on a broad societal foundation.
The progress of modern medicine and many of its applications cannot be contained within national borders. Therefore, ethical advice also aims at regulations at the international level, in particular regarding human rights. Examples include the Council of Europe’s Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (1997) and the UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005).
In the healthcare sector, ethical advice serves to improve the quality of care for sick, disabled and care-dependent people. It includes, among other things, the conduct of individual ethical case discussions (ethics case counselling), the creation of guidelines and recommendations (ethics guidelines) and the organisation of events on topics of medical and care ethics (ethics training).
