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Conference Announcement "Human Rights and Biomedicine" International Conference Erasmus University Rotterdam Rotterdam (The Netherlands) 10-12 December 2008 __________________________________________________ Background The Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (officially, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine, 1997) stipulated the legal principles which are binding on the field of medicine and biology. Together with the European Convention on Human Rights, it is one of the leading treaty documents passed by the Council of Europe. The Biomedicine Convention is the first international document formulating guiding principles on: equitable access to healthcare; informed consent; organ transplanting and the use of substances of human origin; medical research on human beings; the protection of the human embryo and fetus, and the use of medical information. Since 1997, the member states of the Council of Europe started the process of ratification that commits them to make their laws compatible with the principles and requirements of this document. Since the Dutch government is expected to ratify the Convention, the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Erasmus University Medical Center organize an international conference starting at international Human Rights Day (10 December 2008). Conference on Biomedicine and Human Rights During the conference eminent scholars from a variety of disciplines (medicine, law, ethics, philosophy) will discuss the meaning of the Conventions underlying principles and fundamental rights in health care, contemporary dilemmas in health care (policy) and the Conventions impact on national health legislation and daily practice. The conference provides an opportunity for discussion among scholars and practitioners in Europe on emerging issues in biomedicine and human rights. Objectives - Bring together researchers in the fields of bio-medicine, ethics and law; - Discussion on contemporary issues in biomedicine and human rights; - Develop and distribute conference proceedings as an information source for use of researchers, practitioners, legislators, and government policy officials and other interested persons; - Development of an international network for interdisciplinary exchange of information on biomedicine and human rights; - Monitor the developments in the field of biomedicine and human rights. Structure and topics of discussion Lectures and panel presentations are paired with group-sessions, allowing in-depth exploration of issues and personal interaction with top academic experts and other participants. The sessions chosen include: - Equitable access to health care, - Organ transplantation, - Clinical trials - Patients rights, - Genetics and Health care rights, - Bioethics in post-communist countries, - Bioethics: a feminist view. During the conference, poster sessions will be organized to highlight their research outcomes on Human Rights and Biomedicine, and to share their successful ideas with colleagues. Submitting a Poster Abstract If you wish to submit a poster for the Conference, you must be booked as a delegate. To apply to present a poster, please send an e-mail to André den Exter ([email protected]) with the following information: - Name, institution and contact details - Title of the Poster - A brief abstract of your poster (no longer than 150 words) Promotion of Young Scholars To this end, postgraduate students and early career researchers who are registered for the Conference are invited to present posters on their work, thereby giving them a unique opportunity to showcase their research in a visual format and contribute to the generation of ideas and discussion. A prize will be awarded for the best poster to be voted on by conference participants. Topic Posters may be submitted on any topic related to biomedicine, ethics and human rights. The poster could include an abstract of your thesis or research project, or some ideas or questions for future research. Contact: Erasmus University Medical Center Institute of Health Policy and Management P.O. Box 1738 3000 DR Rotterdam The Netherlands Phone: +31 10 408 85 55 Fax: +31 10 408 90 94 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.biomedicineconvention.nl __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
