Biotechnologies - How far should we go?

However, these advancements also raise some fundamental questions: When does life begin? How far should humans intervene in nature? What are the consequences? What constitutes a life worth living? Who should make decisions about life and death? Bioethics addresses these and other questions. Its aim is not to prevent innovation, but rather to enable progress that benefits humankind's well-being.

On order for this to succeed, there needs to be an intensive international debate on values and standards. UNESCO plays a pivotal role in this process. It launched the Bioethics Programme in 1993, which particularly supports the work of two bodies: The International Bioethics Committee (IBC)External link: and the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC)External link:.

The IBC comprises 36 independent experts from a variety of disciplines who work togehter to produce scientifically robust reports on contemporary bioethical issues. These reports guide UNESCO member states in their approach to new life sciences technologies. Professor Dr Bettina Schöne-Seifert, a German bioethics expert, has been serving as an IBC member from 2022 to 2025. The IGBC comprises government representatives from 36 UNESCO member states, including Germany, which has been represented in the IGBC for many years. The IBC and the IGBC jointly draw up statements and recommendations, which they then publish. They also make proposals to the UNESCO Directorate-General, for instance concerning the development of binding global standards.