MLA 2: Strengthening Capacity of African Member States, in particular National Bioethics Committees, to Manage Bioethical Challenges, Using UNESCO's ABC and Ethics Education Programmes

In 2014-2015, the Assisting Bioethics Committees (ABC) Programme will continue in 6 member states that have already signed Memoranda of Understanding with UNESCO, and in 2 new states: a total of 10 trainings will be organized. In addition to the Guides available for first three trainings designed for NBCs, in 2014-2015, a fourth guide will be published for the first time. Along with the ABC training programmes that will be conducted in Africa during the biennium, the region will also be the focus of the Ethics Education Programme, the main components of which will be: Core Curriculum in Bioethics; Ethics Teachers Training Course; and establishing networks to promote the teaching of ethics.

Important Points to Note

• Regional in scope—Africa-wide coverage; however funds to only support countries that have MOU with UNESCO for support in one of the three areas of the programme’s focus, namely; capacity building of NBC through UNESCO’s ABC Programme; EEP/ETTC; and Data collection for GEObs
• Funds to also support publication of 4th UNESCO’s ABC Training manual
• Normative basis: Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights, UNESCO, 1997; and Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, UNESCO, 2005)
• Eastern Africa countries benefitting include: Kenya and Tanzania proposed for EEP/ETTC; Comoros proposed for NBC ABC Training. Possibility to support additional Eastern Africa countries in the area of data collection for GEOBs Database
• Partnerships to include: UNESCO field offices; National Commissions, universities/research centers, etc