International Conference on Human Rights and Biomedicine

Date: 12/10/2008, 12:00h to 12/12/2008, 16:00h

Location:
Westelijk Handelsterrein
Van Vollenhovenstraat 15
3016 BE Rotterdam
The Netherlands

Speaker: Dr. J. Bussemaker (Vice-Minister of Health, The Netherlands) *** Prof. T. Beauchamp (Professor of Philosophy Georgetown University, Kennedy Institute of Ethics, USA) *** Prof. J. Harris (Professor of Bioethic, University of Manchester, UK) *** Prof. C. Casabona (Professor of Penal Law, Director of the Inter-University chair of Law and the Human Genome, University of Deusto and University of The Basque Country, Spain) *** Dr. D. Madden (Senior lecturer University College Cork, Ireland) *** Dr. H. ten Have (Director Division of Ethics of Science and Technology UNESCO) *** Prof. H. Nys (Director of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Belgium) *** Dr. C. de Sola (Head of Health and Bioethics Department, Council of Europe) *** Prof. T. Stoltzfus Jost (Professor of health law, Washington and Lee University, USA) *** Prof. R. Lawson (holding the Kirchheiner chair (Protection of the integrity of the individual), Leiden University, NL) *** Dr. R. Andorno (Senior research fellow, Institute of Biomedical Ethics, University of Zurich, CH) *** Prof. E. Doppelfeld (Professor emeritus of Medical Ethics, University of Bonn, Germany) *** Dr. R. Reusser (Council of Europe Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI), CH) *** Prof. M. Sutrop (Professor of Philosophy, University of Tartu, EE) *** Prof. H. Lindemann (Professor of medical ethics, Michigan State University, USA) ***Dr. W. Deville (Senior researcher, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), NL) *** Prof. G. J. van Ommen (Center for Human and Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, NL)

Further information: http://www.biomedicineconvention.nl/

Description: BACKGROUND

The Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (officially, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine, 1997) stipulated the legal principles which are binding on the field of medicine and biology. Together with the European Convention on Human Rights, it is one of the leading treaty documents passed by the Council of Europe.

The Biomedicine Convention is the first international document formulating guiding principles on: equitable access to healthcare; informed consent; organ transplanting and the use of substances of human origin; medical research on human beings; the protection of the human embryo and fetus, and the use of medical information.

Since 1997, the member states of the Council of Europe started the process of ratification that commits them to make their laws compatible with the principles and requirements of this document. Since the Dutch government is expected to ratify the Convention, the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Erasmus University Medical Center organize an international conference starting at international Human Rights Day (10 December 2008).

CONFERENCE ON BIOMEDICINE AND HUMAN RIGHTS

During the conference eminent scholars from a variety of disciplines (medicine, law, ethics, philosophy) will discuss the meaning of the Convention’s underlying principles and fundamental rights in health care, contemporary dilemmas in health care (policy) and the Convention’s impact on national health legislation and daily practice. The conference provides an opportunity for discussion among scholars and practitioners in Europe on emerging issues in biomedicine and human rights.

OBJECTIVES

- Bring together researchers in the fields of bio-medicine, ethics and law

- Discussion on contemporary issues in Biomedicine and Human rights

- Develop and distribute conference proceedings as an information source for use of researchers, practitioners, legislators, and government policy officials and other interested persons

- Development of an international network for interdisciplinary exchange of information on Biomedicine and Human rights

- Monitor the developments in the field of Biomedicine and human rights.

Structure and topics of discussion Lectures and panel presentations are paired with group-sessions, allowing in-depth exploration of issues and personal interaction with top academic experts and other participants. The sessions chosen include:

- Equitable access to health care,

- Organ transplantation,

- Clinical trials,

- Patients’ rights,

- Genetics and Health care rights,

- Bioethics in post-communist countries and

- Bioethics: a feminist view

During the conference, poster sessions will be organized to highlight their research outcomes on Human Rights and Biomedicine, and to share their successful ideas with colleagues.

Contact:
Mahsa Ghari or André den Exter
Conference Office Human Rights and Biomedicine
Erasmus MC / iBMG
P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 - (0)10 - 4 08 85 55
Fax: +31 - (0)10 - 4 08 90 94
biomedicineconvention@bmg.eur.nl

Organizer: Erasmus University Rotterdam

Keywords: assisted reproduction; embryonic stem cells; embryo research; research ethics; research ethics committees; research law; reproductive medicine; genetic tests/counselling; genetic research/technology; health system; genetics; medical ethics; organ/tissue transplantation