Book of the Terms of Reference
Sub-Regional Workshop on Implementation
of the African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics
As support of the
Pan African System of Certification in Ethics Review
- Under the Patronage of the African Union Commission,
Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology,
Granted by Letter Ref. HSRT/8/178.02.11 of February 21, 2011
- With the proposed partnership of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region
- Under the political leadership of the Ministry of External Relations of Cameroon which has established, by Decision No. 296 of May 18, 2011, a Working Group whose mandate is to monitor the implementation of Resolution No. AHG/Res.254 (XXXII) on Bioethics and Africa Development
- Under Scientific expertise and academic tutoring provided by the Ministry of Higher Education of Cameroon (MINESUP), by Letter No. 11/01687/MINESUP/SG/DPRC/CPRU/na of March 30, 2011
SUMMARY
Sub-Regional Workshop on Implementation of the African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics 1
Implementation of African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics 3
African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics Terms of Reference 5
List of the African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics 8
Specific Terms of Reference 10
Culture and Education 11
Anthropological and Demographical Transitions in Africa 12
Management of the Ecosystem 13
Political Leadership 14
International Relations and Cooperation 15
Development Scheme 16
International Finance 17
International Law 18
The Fight Against Corruption 19
Information and New Communication Technologies 20
Business Ethics and Deontology of Companies 21
Public Health 22
Fight Against HIV/AIDS 23
Biosecurity Standard 24
Agricultural Biotechnology 25
Climate Change and Toxic Wastes Management 26
Research on Climate Change 27
Research on GMO, Ethics of Food Production and the against Hunger 28
Clinical Trials and the Evaluation of Health Research Methods 29
Good Clinical and Pharmaceutical Practices 30
Health and Human Rights in Prisons 31
Reseach on Female Genital Mutilation (The Case of Excision) 32
The Fight against Human Trafficking related to Illegal Migration and Sexual Exploitation 33
Ethics of Endogenous Practices of Life 34
The Value of Life’s Beginning and Life’s End 35
Proposed Agenda 36
Implementation of African Platforms
on Ethics and Bioethics
Proposed partnership between COPAB
and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
and the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region
Introductory
At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, during the Millennium Summit in September 2000, and in September 2009, the President of the Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Paul BIYA, has proposed to establish a powerful and lasting tool of humanizing in depth of the entire international community.
This is the World Committee on Ethics, which functioning with the Secretariat General of the United Nations should promote among nations and within them, fundamental human and universal values.
The Cameroon Bioethics Society (CBS), the first institution of Ethics and Bioethics on African soil, recognized by the entire world community of Ethics, flag bearer of the African Movement for Ethics and Bioethics, particularly sensitive to Project of Pan Africanization and globalization of the ethical debate, now offers a fruitful partnership between COPAB and UN agencies operating in Africa, under the sponsorship of the African Union, to establish African Platforms for Ethics in the major projects of research, Development of Africa and ethical dilemmas.
The final destination of this architecture is the creation and permanent animation of regulatory bodies throughout the entire African continent, as an operational tool of humanization of practices of life in society in all its aspects.
The initiative is in preparation for the promotion of African cultural renaissance, drawing its sources in the shared values of traditional African humanism. He comes to work for the harmonious integration of modern political values of better living together on the unshakable foundation of shared values of traditional African humanism, because it is precisely these that have enabled women and men of our continent to defy the test of time since the birth of humanity on our Continent, and survive all sorts of calamities.
The future of Africa can not be built seriously if we do not take to heart, as so aptly pointed out the Chairman of the African Union, His Excellency Teodoro Obiang Nguema Badzogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, when he took office in Addis Ababa, January 31, 2011, to "solve the crisis of African values."
It should be noted here that the proposal of CBS is the result of a decade of experience in the campaign to promote the project of the World Committee on Ethics in Africa and the rest of the world.
Indeed, a double inquiry has returned regularly, namely:
- That the continent has its own corresponding Ethics structure. This was set in May 2008 in Yaounde by the establishment under the endorsement of the African Union, at the Chamber of the National Assembly of Cameroon, of the Pan African Bioethics Congress (COPAB). The COPAB is called to be institutionalized as the Scientific and Political Commission on Ethics and Bioethics attached to the African Union, in accordance with Resolution AHG/Res.254 (XXXII) of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on Bioethics and the Development of Africa, adopted by the Summit of Bioethics at the 32th OAU Summit in Yaounde in July 1996.
- That African Experts show in the field activities related to the service expected of the proposed global entity. The establishment and running of the African Platforms for Ethics sponsored by the African Union and in partnership with the UNECA and WHO Africa Region is an early technical response to this concern.
The political response is awaited from the Conference of the African Union by the conclusion of the institutionalization of the African Movement for Ethics and Bioethics, by adopting the African Charter on Ethics, Bioethics and Human Rights and Peoples, and harmonization across the Continent of Certification in Ethical Review.
African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics
TERMS OF REFERENCE
I. BACKGROUND AND PROBLEMATIC
The history of the Peoples of Africa, like all other regions in the world, is singular.
On the one hand, the historic privilege of the birth of humankind and the first civilizations, inevitably leads to anthropological concerns of humanization of the whole human community, with particular emphasis on the sacredness of human life.
On the other hand, inhuman and degrading treatments the Peoples of Africa have been subject throughout history, due to internal and external attacks, have culminated every level of cruelty and immorality. This abuse has left in them stigma that require specific holistic care, because it concerns the life.
Yet life, as defined in the African community and called "ankh" in ancient Egypt is timeless and sacred.
Ethical Issues of Life: Bioethics, on the progress of science, medicine, technology and development, as well as geopolitical positions are and will remain consistent with the singularity mentioned above.
The founding fathers of the African Bioethics, gathered under the name of Cameroon Bioethics Society (CBS), officially recognized in 1995, created the African Movement for Ethics and Bioethics, to promote in Africa, Ethics and Bioethics including through research and debate.
Strengthening the Development and Integration of the entire African continent through the promotion of science and professionalism, and shared values of traditional African Humanism is the goal they have set themselves.
In twenty-one (21) years of real existence, ethicists from Africa have taken up the challenge to raise the issue and debate on bioethics at the heart of concerns in Africa, to the highest levels of decision.
From 1994 to 2001, they held thirteen (13) gatherings of the African International Symposium on Bioethics (JIB : Journées Internationales africaines de Bioéthique): centre of talks for the African palaver to discuss African issues : ethics and bioethics, intercultural dialogue in issues regarding life, survival of Mind kind, and preservation of human dignity, integrity and freedom.
The JIB in February 1995 approved the creation of the Public Health and Bioethics Research Centre (CERB). Scientific crucible born October 15, 1996 in Yaounde at the Board of Directors of CBS, this institution has given two major directions in the activities of the CBS, i.e. the Pan African Congress for Health Actors (COPAS) and the Pan African Congress for Ethics and Bioethics (COPAB), for which CERB provides secretariat and technical support.
The conclusion of the institutionalization of COPAB can consider it as a Scientific and Political Commission for Ethics and Bioethics with the African Union, working in a public private partnership.
The conclusion of the institutionalization of COPAS is the implementation of the Platform of all major players in non public sector of health in Africa, in dialogue and coordination with stakeholders in charge in the public sector.
The establishment of the African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics in the priority areas of research, development and ethical dilemmas is the answer given today by the CERB for best animated ethical and bioethical debates and a greater impetus to Research for Development of the African continent, with the prospect of greater unity and a better integration of the Continent.
The goal that the CERB has assigned to these gatherings of experts is contributing to the respective implementation of:
· Resolution AHG/Res.254 (XXXII) of the OAU on Bioethics and the Development of Africa adopted by the Conference of African Heads of State at the 32th Summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in July 1996 in Yaounde;
· Abuja Call by the African Heads of State for Accelerated Action towards universal access to services to fight against HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa, and the realization of Plan of the African Union “Strategy for Health in Africa from 2007 to 2015”;
· Declaration of the African delegation at the Millennium Summit in September 2000 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in favor of the creation and operation with the Secretary General of the United Nations of a World Ethics Committee, responsible to promote, among all nations and within them, basic and universal human values.
II. ISSUES
The issues are:
For COPAB:
1. The establishment of an Integrated Ethics Sphere of the entire African continent, under the OAU Resolution on Bioethics and the Development of Africa mentioned above, on the basis of shared values of traditional African Humanism, because the latter is likely to promote consensus in ethical and bioethical debates in the style of the African palaver;
2. The operationalization of a Pan African System of Certification in Ethics Review necessary to responsible and honest practice of all activities and research involving human, society or nature;
3. The adoption of an Application Protocol in the field of Ethics and Bioethics of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, framework of reference in making any decision on these matters.
4. The creation and operation of a World Ethics Committee with the Secretary General of the United Nations.
For the COPAS:
1. The effective contribution of all health actors: public and private in the fight against priority diseases, as defined by WHO;
2. Contributing to a more efficient mechanism for financing private sector activities by institutional donors support, in particular by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;
3. The actual contribution of the private sector in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
The management of the transversality of the issues of these two forums would back COPAB. One of the products of two gatherings of COPAB (1st Congress of COPAB: Yaounde, May 2008 and 2nd Congress of COPAB, Yaounde, April 2010) is the proposal of Application Protocol in the field of Ethics and Bioethics of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights; it is the translation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right in the field of Ethics and Bioethics. The said Protocol is the cornerstone of the Pan African System of Certification in Ethics Review mentioned above, whose operationalization is achievable by the animation of the African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics.
III. OBJECTIVES
The African Platforms on Ethics and Bioethics are the rooms of the African palaver for the implementation of Resolution No. AHG/Rés.254 (XXXII) of the OAU on Bioethics and the Development of Africa.
The debate is lively around:
1. Terms of Reference (TOR) proposed by the facilitators appointed for each platform and validated by the consensus of other members of the Platform and the secretariat of COPAB during ordinary or extraordinary meetings;
2. Pressing issues of the day, on the proposal from one or more Communities of the African Union, of one or more Member States, or institutions of the African Union, or the COPAB itself.
The ultimate goal is the establishment of an Integrated Ethics Sphere of the entire African continent, as the cement of African integration and engine of construction of peace, progress, justice and harmonious development in Africa and the world.
IV. PARTICIPANTS TO THE DEBATE
The guests in the debates of Platforms are:
1. Experts, permanent members of the Platform (COPAB will offer to the High Hierarchy terms of recruitment, in accordance with the rules of the African Union);
2. Any person with a proven expertise in the subject of debate, invited by the COPAB for the occasion;
3. Representatives of the applicant if the latter is not a member state or an institution of the African Union.
V. EXPECTATIONS
The product of each platform is a publication with:
· The inventory of the field of the platform or that of (the) question (s) discussed (s) in regular and special sessions;
· The strategic directions for management of the field of the platform;
· Proposed solutions to the issues discussed in the regular and special sessions;
· An annual reference publication on the state of Africa in the scope of the Platform.
Publications will be sent to:
· all Member States of the African Union for popularization;
· the body of the African Union in charge of question;
· Pan African University;
· Partners of COPAB possibly;
· the applicant;
· the archives of the African Union.