Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
type: ValuesCredential
date: 11 November 1997
category: Bioethics, science & culture
category status: AutoAssigned
source: universal-declaration-human-genome-and-human-rights
comment: Re-sourced from authoritative OHCHR text; deontic + amendment layers pending.

Article 1
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: The human genome underlies the fundamental unity of all members of the human family, as well as the recognition of their inherent dignity and diversity. In a symbolic sense, it is the heritage of humanity.

Article 2
type: Right
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
held by: NaturalPerson
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: (a) Everyone has a right to respect for their dignity and for their rights regardless of their genetic characteristics. (b) That dignity makes it imperative not to reduce individuals to their genetic characteristics and to respect their uniqueness and diversity.

Article 3
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: The human genome, which by its nature evolves, is subject to mutations. It contains potentialities that are expressed differently according to each individual's natural and social environment including the individual's state of health, living conditions, nutrition and education.

Article 4
type: Prohibition
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
borne by: Agent
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: The human genome in its natural state shall not give rise to financial gains. B. Rights of the persons concerned

Article 5
type: Obligation
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
borne by: Agent
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: (a) Research, treatment or diagnosis affecting an individual's genome shall be undertaken only after rigorous and prior assessment of the potential risks and benefits pertaining thereto and in accordance with any other requirement of national law. (b) In all cases, the prior, free and informed consent of the person concerned shall be obtained. If the latter is not in a position to consent, consent or authorization shall be obtained in the manner prescribed by law, guided by the person's best interest. (c) The right of each individual to decide whether or not to be informed of the results of genetic examination and the resulting consequences should be respected. (d) In the case of research, protocols shall, in addition, be submitted for prior review in accordance with relevant national and international research standards or guidelines. (e) If according to the law a person does not have the capacity to consent, research affecting his or her genome may only be carried out for his or her direct health benefit, subject to the authorization and the protective conditions prescribed by law. Research which does not have an expected direct health benefit may only be undertaken by way of exception, with the utmost restraint, exposing the person only to a minimal risk and minimal burden and if the research is intended to contribute to the health benefit of other persons in the same age category or with the same genetic condition, subject to the conditions prescribed by law, and provided such research is compatible with the protection of the individual's human rights.

Article 6
type: Prohibition
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
borne by: Agent
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: No one shall be subjected to discrimination based on genetic characteristics that is intended to infringe or has the effect of infringing human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity.

Article 7
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: Genetic data associated with an identifiable person and stored or processed for the purposes of research or any other purpose must be held confidential in the conditions set by law.

Article 8
type: Right
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
held by: NaturalPerson
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: Every individual shall have the right, according to international and national law, to just reparation for any damage sustained as a direct and determining result of an intervention affecting his or her genome.

Article 9
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: In order to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, limitations to the principles of consent and confidentiality may only be prescribed by law, for compelling reasons within the bounds of public international law and the international law of human rights. C. Research on the human genome

Article 10
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: No research or research applications concerning the human genome, in particular in the fields of biology, genetics and medicine, should prevail over respect for the human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity of individuals or, where applicable, of groups of people.

Article 11
type: Prohibition
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
borne by: Agent
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: Practices which are contrary to human dignity, such as reproductive cloning of human beings, shall not be permitted. States and competent international organizations are invited to co-operate in identifying such practices and in taking, at national or international level, the measures necessary to ensure that the principles set out in this Declaration are respected.

Article 12
type: Obligation
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
borne by: Agent
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: (a) Benefits from advances in biology, genetics and medicine, concerning the human genome, shall be made available to all, with due regard for the dignity and human rights of each individual. (b) Freedom of research, which is necessary for the progress of knowledge, is part of freedom of thought. The applications of research, including applications in biology, genetics and medicine, concerning the human genome, shall seek to offer relief from suffering and improve the health of individuals and humankind as a whole. D. Conditions for the exercise of scientific activity

Article 13
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: The responsibilities inherent in the activities of researchers, including meticulousness, caution, intellectual honesty and integrity in carrying out their research as well as in the presentation and utilization of their findings, should be the subject of particular attention in the framework of research on the human genome, because of its ethical and social implications. Public and private science policy-makers also have particular responsibilities in this respect.

Article 14
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should take appropriate measures to foster the intellectual and material conditions favourable to freedom in the conduct of research on the human genome and to consider the ethical, legal, social and economic implications of such research, on the basis of the principles set out in this Declaration.

Article 15
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should take appropriate steps to provide the framework for the free exercise of research on the human genome with due regard for the principles set out in this Declaration, in order to safeguard respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity and to protect public health. They should seek to ensure that research results are not used for non-peaceful purposes.

Article 16
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should recognize the value of promoting, at various levels, as appropriate, the establishment of independent, multidisciplinary and pluralist ethics committees to assess the ethical, legal and social issues raised by research on the human genome and its application. E. Solidarity and international cooperation

Article 17
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should respect and promote the practice of solidarity towards individuals, families and population groups who are particularly vulnerable to or affected by disease or disability of a genetic character. They should foster, inter alia , research on the identification, prevention and treatment of genetically based and genetically influenced diseases, in particular rare as well as endemic diseases which affect large numbers of the world's population.

Article 18
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should make every effort, with due and appropriate regard for the principles set out in this Declaration, to continue fostering the international dissemination of scientific knowledge concerning the human genome, human diversity and genetic research and, in that regard, to foster scientific and cultural co-operation, particularly between industrialized and developing countries.

Article 19
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: (a) In the framework of international co-operation with developing countries, States should seek to encourage measures enabling: (b) Relevant international organizations should support and promote the initiatives taken by States for the above-mentioned purposes. F. Promotion of the principles set out in the Declaration

Article 20
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should take appropriate measures to promote the principles set out in the Declaration, through education and relevant means, inter alia through the conduct of research and training in interdisciplinary fields and through the promotion of education in bioethics, at all levels, in particular for those responsible for science policies.

Article 21
type: Obligation
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
borne by: Agent
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should take appropriate measures to encourage other forms of research, training and information dissemination conducive to raising the awareness of society and all of its members of their responsibilities regarding the fundamental issues relating to the defence of human dignity which may be raised by research in biology, in genetics and in medicine, and its applications. They should also undertake to facilitate on this subject an open international discussion, ensuring the free expression of various sociocultural, religious and philosophical opinions. G. Implementation of the Declaration

Article 22
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should make every effort to promote the principles set out in this Declaration and should, by means of all appropriate measures, promote their implementation.

Article 23
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: States should take appropriate measures to promote, through education, training and information dissemination, respect for the above-mentioned principles and to foster their recognition and effective application. States should also encourage exchanges and networks among independent ethics committees, as they are established, to foster full collaboration.

Article 24
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: The International Bioethics Committee of UNESCO should contribute to the dissemination of the principles set out in this Declaration and to the further examination of issues raised by their applications and by the evolution of the technologies in question. It should organize appropriate consultations with parties concerned, such as vulnerable groups. It should make recommendations, in accordance with UNESCO's statutory procedures, addressed to the General Conference and give advice concerning the follow-up of this Declaration, in particular regarding the identification of practices that could be contrary to human dignity, such as germ-line interventions.

Article 25
type: Undertaking
part of: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
deontic status: HeuristicDerived
original text: Endorsed by General Assembly resolution 53/152 of 9 December 1998 The General Conference , Recalling that the Preamble of UNESCO's Constitution refers to "the democratic principles of the dignity, equality and mutual respect of men", rejects any "doctrine of the inequality of men and races", stipulates "that the wide diffusion of culture, and the education of humanity for justice and liberty and peace are indispensable to the dignity of men and constitute a sacred duty which all the nations must fulfil in a spirit of mutual assistance and concern", proclaims that "peace must be founded upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind", and states that the Organization seeks to advance "through the educational and scientific and cultural relations of the peoples of the world, the objectives of international peace and of the common welfare of mankind for which the United Nations Organization was established and which its Charter proclaims", Solemnly recalling its attachment to the universal principles of human rights, affirmed in particular in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948 and in the two International United Nations Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights of l6 December 1966, in the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948, the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of 21 December 1965, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons of 20 December 1971, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons of 9 December 1975, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women of 18 December 1979, the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power of 29 November 1985, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 198…