Governance of technologies

Translating the Guide to public debate on human rights and biomedicine in non-official languages and disseminating it in Council of Europe member States

The Guide to public debate, presented at the high-level seminar held in Strasbourg on 4 June 2019, is a tool for policy makers to help them engage with the public. It aims at raising public awareness, promoting discussion between different actors, groups, and individuals, including those who are marginalised and disadvantaged, and at facilitating consultation of the public by authorities with a view to making policy decisions. Translating the Guide to public debate into non-official languages and disseminating it will foster public debate initiatives in Council of Europe member States, including in countries and regions where public debate is less developed.

objective

Fostering public dialogue to promote democratic governance and transparency in the field of biomedicine

In order to guarantee that the directions of innovation and the ethical challenges raised by technological developments are robustly deliberated, governance should go hand in hand with broad and informed public dialogue. Fostering a dialogue between the public, scientists, and policy makers should promote democratic governance and transparency in the field of biomedicine. This can assist policy makers in public consultations and, therefore, in ascertaining the most appropriate governance models needed for biomedical technologies and their applications. This is in line with Article 28 of the Oviedo Convention, which provides that “the fundamental questions raised by the developments of biology and medicine are the subject of appropriate public discussion in the light, in particular, of relevant medical, social, economic, ethical and legal implications, and that their possible application is made the subject of appropriate consultation”.

Translation of the guide