View source for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

The United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations working to promote international collaboration through education, science, and culture. 

In 1993 UNESCO established a Bioethics Programme within its Division of the Ethics of Science and Technology. The Programme is led by the International Bioethics Committee (IBC), consisting of 36 outside experts, and the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee (IGBC), consisting of representatives from 36 member states. 

UNESCO has adopted a number of non-binding declarations addressing bioethics issues.  In 2007 it took the lead in negotiating the International Convention Against Doping in Sports, now open for ratification.  The Convention includes language banning the use of genetic technology to enhance athletic performance in official athletic events (“Gene-Doping”). 

== The UNESCO Declarations ==

The Bioethics Programme has sponsored three major nonbinding international agreements: 

# The ''Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights'' was adopted unanimously by the UNESCO General Conference in 1997 and ratified by the UN General Assembly in 1998. The Declaration calls for member states to undertake specific actions, such as the prohibition of "practices which are contrary to human dignity, such as reproductive cloning of human beings." It also calls on the IBC to study "practices that could be contrary to human dignity, such as germline interventions."
# The ''International Declaration on Human Genetic Data'' was adopted in 2003. The declaration is intended “to ensure the respect of human dignity and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the collection, processing, use and storage of human genetic and proteomic data, and of the biological samples from which they are derived, in keeping with the requirements of equality, justice and solidarity, while giving due consideration to freedom of thought and expression, including freedom of research.” 
# The ''Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights'' was adopted in 2005. Using a human rights framework, the Declaration established normative principles in fifteen areas, including human dignity and human rights; equality, justice and equity; and protecting future generations. These principles cover a wider range of issues than the previous two bioethics Declarations. 

== The International Convention Against Doping in Sports ==
 
In 1999 the World Olympic Committee established the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to address the unauthorized use of steroids, drugs and other biological materials by athletes.  In 2003 WADA issued the first World Anti-Doping Code, including a list of banned substances. In 2006  WADA added a provision prohibiting gene-doping. 

In 2005 WADA and UNESCO prepared the International Convention Against Doping in Sports, which incorporates the World Anti-Doping Code. Upon ratification by national governments the provisions of the Convention are binding.  

== Offsite links == 

* [http://www.unesco.org/ UNESCO]
* [http://www.unesco.org/shs/bioethics UNESCO Bioethics Programme]
* [http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1881&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights]
* [http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1882&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html International Declaration on Human Genetic Data]
* [http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1883&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights]
* [http://www.wada-ama.org/en/ World Anti-Doping Agency]
* [http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/code_v3.pdf World Anti-Doping Code (PDF)]
* [http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=31037&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html International Convention Against Doping in Sport]

{{Table agreements | description = the status of the 2005 International Convention Against Doping in Sports for each member state}}

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{{#ask:  [[Category:Country|Country]] | ?Region | ?Population| ?2005 UNESCO Sports Doping Convention | limit = 250}}
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