| Summary: |
This document discusses the need to regulate new technologies in an ethical manner as embodied by the precautionary principle. Born of environmental considerations, the precautionary principle has since matured into an ethical principle with a far broader scope. Although the concept of precaution is not a new one, its definition varies greatly and has proven controversial on occasion. Given its mandate in ethics of science and technology, UNESCO has a role to play in fashioning the precautionary principle into a form that Member States can properly use in making ethical assessments of the choices science and technology present. In conformity with the mandate received from the Member States (31 C/5), UNESCO, together with its advisory body, the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST), has brought together a group of experts to propose a clear definition of the precautionary principle and provide clarification of the possible uses of this principle, aiming at offering an ethical platform to ensure proper risk management and correct information to the public and to policy makers, in view of the impact of new technologies. This report of COMEST’s expert group on the precautionary principle provides Member States with a solid base for discussion and clarifies the principle in a pragmatic way. This is part of a wider effort UNESCO is making to promote capacity and raise awareness in the field of ethics of science and technology. |