2008 International Round Table

On 15–16 December 2008 UNICRI and the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) organized an international Round Table in Rome on “Biomedical Research in Developing Countries: the Promotion of Ethics Human Rights and Justice”.

The Round Table discussion provided a platform for internationally renowned experts in the field to present their own analyses of the various complex aspects of the phenomena, as well as to examine and debate the several issues raised by the research. International instruments developed by the United Nations and other relevant organizations regarding ethical and legal protections for human participants in clinical research trials were also discussed. It was agreed that increasing participants’ knowledge and understanding of the issues and their capacity to address the emerging challenges should be a main objective that the international community should support.

The Round Table event also provided an opportunity to compare national and international experiences on the protection of participants in clinical trials. The practical needs and expectations of future training programmes and development were raised and also the role that international organisations and civil society could play in delivering on these needs. The importance of improving universal instruments in biomedicine to effectively regulate clinical trials was discussed.

Lectures included the following topics:

• The founding principles of the research on ethics and its guidelines. How far is the international community from reaching a consensus on a global strategy for the protection of human participants in biomedical research?
• Strengthening of ethical review processes and regulatory capacities in medical research with human participants in developing countries: Current programmes and future perspectives.
• A focus on the current legislation in Africa regarding the protection of human participants in biomedical research and the status of ethical review capacity in the Continent.
• Presentations by experts from selected countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa.

The International Round Table Conclusions and Recommendations:

• AIFA - Conclusions
• UNICRI - Recommendations

Please find below more information on:

• The Scientific Committee
• Presentations from the International Round Table
• Experts and Organisations involved