Roundtable on the Ethics of Genome Editing: Voices from Society (Multilingual version)

The third edition of the Roundtable on the Ethics of Genome Editing focused on public engagement in decision-making as regards the introduction of new technologies into society, duly considering their impact on the values and cultures of each society. It was organized online on 3 March 2021.

How can each member of society get involved in current science and policy debates on genomics? How can policy-makers and scientists foster multicultural and cross-disciplinary discussions to form the basis of effective public engagement?

Recent developments in genome editing technologies have been raising new hopes and concerns due to the significant impacts of these technologies on future generations and on biodiversity. It is UNESCO's duty to nurture dialogue among different stakeholders within societies and amongst the international community, in order to ensure that the application of such technologies shall not compromise human rights and human dignity.

By bringing together eminent experts in the fields of science, law, medicine, biotechnology, ethics and philosophy, this roundtable aimed to foster multidisciplinary discussions and reflections on the latest developments and on the ethical implications of genome editing in order to raise awareness and sensitize policy-makers, researchers and the general public on these issues.

This event is part of a series of roundtables launched by UNESCO in 2018 to sensitize policy-makers, researchers and the general public on the ethical challenges of genome editing.