Toward effective global policies
Monday 25 July 2011, 4:00pm - 5:20pm

LOCATION: KNICKERBOCKER ROOM
 

As a continuation of the “Global Opportunities and Challenges” plenary presentation and discussion, this working session addressed additional pressing issues and evaluated different approaches for oversight and regulation of human biotechnologies. Specific topics included: competing understandings of “genetic sovereignty” and their consequences, as well as how this tension fuels national regulation and international efforts to capitalize on the fruits of national database initiatives; the bilateral BIONET initiative between the United Kingdom and China to agree upon ethical governance of biomedical research; the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee’s integration of work done by civil society groups around the world; and a look at the importance of contextualization to assess the viability of regulatory agreements with “middle-level” actors, such as private sector firms  and civil society groups. The session also discussed ways to engage effectively at the international level, including possibilities for widely disseminated reports and whitepapers, and for participation at key international assemblies.