Análisis de la Declaración Universal sobre Bioética y Derechos Humanos de la UNESCO: un referente en bioética y en investigación (e innovación responsable) en seres humanos

Abstract

Over 10 years after the adoption of the UNESCO´s Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, this international legal non binding instrument should be considered a benchmark in bioethics and scientific research in human beings. To this end, the article analyzes the background, nature and scope of the Declaration, as well as its structure and content. The study highlights research ethics committees -their character, composition, and functions-, that the Declaration situates in a strategic position to advocate a bioethics into action through these interdisciplinary bodies: not only to review research projects, but to train and sensitize in bioethics. As a starting point, the usefulness and timeliness of the Declaration is claimed, in a context such as Europe, which is committed to 'responsible research and innovation'. A new concept where ethics is one of its axes with issues such as gender equality, governance, scientific education, open access and public engagement in decision-making related to the generation and application of knowledge. These are questions that, since 2005, have been included in the Declaration, by establishing principles and procedures consistent with this new nomenclature which transmits old messages and classic goals in bioethics, particularly from the perspective of scientific research in human beings and its review and control by research ethics committees.