Rapid advances in genetics and medicine present both opportunities and threats to

the advancement of human rights and public health in this era of globalization. While

such advances contribute significantly to progress against disease, they may also pose

profound global public policy concerns in that the ethical and policy considerations

that follow from scientific advances lag far behind. In this context, the aim of this

book is to present the current global efforts to develop common principles relating to

biomedicine. Section I sets forth the pivotal role that the principle of human dignity

plays in this domain, and identifies a number of other principles that can be drawn

from the recent international policy documents on bioethics. Section II provides

detailed commentaries on recent international instruments relating to biomedicine

adopted by UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Section III elaborates upon specific

biomedical human rights issues that are the subject of contemporary international

standard-setting efforts, including biomedical research, population biobanks, genetic

testing, and advance directives. Essays in each of these sections examine the extent to

which promoting and protecting human rights has created a common framework for

contemporary international lawmaking in the field of biomedicine and the strengths

and limitations of international law as a tool for advancing biomedical human rights.