BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/06/2006

The National Committee On Bioethics The Republic Of Belarus Waw Established With The Support Of UNESSCO

After the great preparatory work the National Committee on Bioethics at the Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Belarus was established with the support of UNESCO. The International Seminar "The National Committee on Bioethics in Belarus & Activity of Local (Regional) Bioethics Committees: the experience of Eastern and Central Europe" held on 6-8 June 2006 in Minsk (Belarus). The seminar was dedicated to this event.

The seminar was jointly organized by Belarusian State Medical University and Belarusian State Economy University with the support of the National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Belarus, the UNESCO Moscow Office and the Ministry of Healthcare of Belarus. The goal of this meeting was to raise the competence of members of National and Local Committees' in questions of organizing the activity of committees and providing of ethical expertise of biomedical research.

The outstanding specialists in the field of bioethics from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova participated in the seminar. Among them were Zbignew Szawarsky (Poland), Žlga Kubar (Russia), Boris Yudin (Russia), Pavel Tishchenko (Russia), Elena Malysheva (Russia), Svitlana Pustovit (Ukraine), Valentin Kulinichenko (Ukraine), Pet¥r Vitte (Ukraine), Solvita Olsena (Latvia), Nijole Vasiljeviene (Lithuania), Liuminitsa Drumea (Moldova). Members of the National Committee on Bioethics of Belarus as well as members of local and regional committees on bioethics also met in Minsk. All together more than 70 participants were involved in the seminar activities.

The meeting was opened by a welcome speech pronounced by the Deputy Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Belarus, the Chairperson of NCB RB V.Kolobanov. During the opening ceremony a.i. Director of the UNESCO Moscow Office Dendev Badarch and the Chairperson of the National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Belarus Uladimir Shchasny also addressed participants of the seminar.

Francis P. Crawley ( Good Clinical Practice Alliance, Belgium) and Secretaries-General of the National Commissions for UNESCO of Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation were present as the guests of the seminar.

The participants discussed the questions related to activities of National Bioethics Committees; prospects of organizing and setting up the National Bioethics Committee of the Republic of Belarus; coordination of its activities with the Centre of Expertise and Tests in the Belarusian healthcare system and local ethical committees; prospects of developing national bioethical education system; experience gained by ethical committees in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Baltic States. With the assistance of international experts Chairpersons of Belarusian regional ethical committees attended a study course within the framework of the SIDCER/WHO "Recognition" programme.

After the fruitful discussions during the closing session the Final Document of the seminar was presented and adopted.

In the framework of the cultural programme the participants visited the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life and the Sites of Belarus, inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Mir Castle Complex and the Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh.

The participants appreciated very much the high level of organizing the event and the warm hospitality of organizers of the seminar and representatives of the National Commissions for UNESCO of Belarus. The UNESCO representatives expressed their gratitude to the staff members of Belarusian State Medical University and Belarusian State Economy University, namely S.Denisov, A.Vismont, Y.Yaskevitch, S.Shavruk, N.Mishatkina, A.Povaliaev, T.Isaeva.

Leaving Belarus the participant took with them the warmest remembrance on the country and its people.

Source:

http://www.unesco.ru/eng/articles/2004/polina14062006165754.php

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