The Tehran Statement on Bioethics

1. Bioethics, interdisciplinary in its nature, needs to be examined using a multidisciplinary and multicultural approach.
2. Bioethical discussion should be promoted with due consideration for different religions, moral values and cultures in addressing the fundamental questions of medical and life sciences.
3. Bioethics bridges science and humanity with respect to protection of human dignity and human rights. Special emphasis should be placed on both human dignity and the human rights particularly of people in developing countries and vulnerable people.
4. UNESCO should be further encouraged to continue its leading role in the field of bioethics in the international community, to promote dialogue and intellectual reflection on bioethical issues, to provide universal principles on bioethics through elaboration on international instruments, to encourage States to implement such principles and to assist countries in the establishment of bioethics committees, and promote co-operation among committees. In this respect, the Congress recommends the Member States of UNESCO to adopt the Declaration on Universal Norms on Bioethics (the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights).
5. Bioethics should take into account environmental issues with respect to the biosphere and emphasize that human beings have responsibilities with respect to each other and other life forms.
6. Normative action in the field of bioethics has to be based on a consistent education and information dissemination policy at all levels and by reaching out to professional communities, decision-makers and the public at large.
7. As soon as the Declaration on the Universal Norms on Bioethics is adopted by the 33^rd General Conference of UNESCO, Member States should take necessary and immediate action to implement the declaration:
   1. Through:
      1. interactive education;
      2. legislation;
      3. communication;
      4. ethics committees;
      5. international co-operation;
      6. concerted action between relevant bodies in the country.
   2. Through elaboration on the following specific issues:
      1. genetic counseling; 
      2. genetic testing; 
      3. GMOs;
      4. intellectual property rights;
      5. embryonic stem cell research;
      6. public health and access to medicine.
8. The Conference invites the Director-General of UNESCO to take the initiative to promote the organization of the next International Congress with the next four years.
9. We invite UNESCO to disseminate this statement as widely as possible.