Global Bioethics as Social Bioethics

Abstract

According to Article 1 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights of 2005, bioethics “addresses ethical issues related to medicine, life sciences and associated technologies as applied to human beings, taking into account their social, legal and environmental dimensions”. This definition broadens the scope of the discipline, far beyond the content of the traditional and more controversial issues concerning the beginning and the end of life or the limits of research. The right of every individual to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health is acknowledged – among others – as one of the principles that global bioethics must comply with, including all the determinants of human development and well-being. Therefore, social responsibility and respect for persons and groups living in conditions of special vulnerability, knowledge and benefit sharing, and sustainable development are key in the work of the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee (IBC). The commitment to improving the standard of health, dignity and quality of life for every human being is a matter of society as well as a matter of science.