The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today supported a new five-year strategic action plan, presented by the Committee on Bioethics, on human rights and technologies in biomedicine.
Designed to protect human dignity, human rights and individual freedoms with regard to the application of biology and medicine, the action plan focuses on addressing the key challenges posed by technological developments and trends in biomedical practices. It is divided into three main strands:
- governance of technology: the aim here is to embed human rights in the development of technologies which have an application in biomedicine and foster public dialogue to ensure greater transparency in the field of biomedicine;
- equity in health care: a draft recommendation will be drawn up to promote equitable access to innovative treatments and appropriate technologies, along with a guide to health literacy for older persons;
- with regard to physical and mental integrity, the action plan provides for:
- a guide to good practice concerning the participation of children in the decision-making process;
- a seminar on relevant legislation and good practices with regard to early intervention on intersex children;
- a legal instrument to protect the human rights and dignity of persons with mental disorders with regard to involuntary placement and/or involuntary treatment and a compendium of good practices to promote voluntary measures in the field of mental health.
