UNESCO Chair Director Alberto García contributed an article to the 2015 book “Global Bioethics: What for?” in honor of the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO’s Bioethics Programme. In his entry “Twenty years fostering convergence and cooperation in global ethics,” García reaffirms the principle mission of the Chair, which “consists in creating a forum of diverse bioethics leaders, delivering a common framework to guide the application of bioethical principles, and informing and influencing ethical, legal and public opinions, decisions and actions relative to medicine, life sciences, and human rights and responsibilities.” He insists that relativism and individualistic subjectivism offer only an apparent solution to the bioethical issues discussed and debated in today’s globalized society. While respect for diversity and pluralism is of utmost importance, such respect should never be used as a pretext to disregard the human rights and dignity of each person. García exhorts participants in bioethical dialogue are to build intellectual and moral bridges between individuals of different backgrounds so as to offer effective responses to the difficulties that plague mankind. A file of the new book can be found online here.
