Participation in the Global Ethics Observatory (GEObs) established by UNESCO

The observatory is a system of databases with worldwide coverage in bioethics and other areas of applied ethics in science and technology, such as environmental ethics, science ethics, and technology ethics. The GEObs Database 4 deals with the Ethics Related Legislation and Guidelines. Information for this database of the Global Ethics Observatory (GEObs) is collected and analyzed by legal experts identified from various Member States, and subsequently reviewed and validated by the Review Committee consisting of legal experts from various regions and legal traditions. The International Review Committee includes the following experts from different continents and from different organizations.  

Thus far, the following bioethical themes have been tackled in the database: Medical research with human beings, access to health care and essential medicines, genetic counseling, protection of future generations, freedom of scientific research, human cloning (reproductive and therapeutic cloning), organ transplantation, biobanking, non-discrimination in health care, protection of genetic resources and ethics committees.

As of August 2009, data from Australia, Brazil, the Cook Islands, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Panama, Samoa, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are available online. Data from Finland, Greece, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda have been collected and are in the process of being reviewed and validated.

Prof. Judit Sándor has participated in the global initiative since it was planned within UNESCO in 2004. She is a member of the international Review Committee.

The GEObs can be accessed at:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/global-ethics-observatory/access-geobs/