New Delhi Consultation Meeting on Codes of Ethics

UNESCO Bangkok/ New Delhi Consultation Meeting on Codes of Ethics in Engineering and Sciences

24-25 April, 2006, New Delhi, India

Monday, 24th April

09:00 – 10:30 Registration

10:30 – 11:00 Opening Session

Ms. Minja Yang, Director, UNESCO New Delhi

Mr. Keshav Desiraju, Secretary General, Indian National Commission for Co-operation with UNESCO

11:00 – 12:00 Session 1: Ethics of Science and Technology, and Goals of the Meeting

Chair: Ms. Leila Seth, Jurist, India (Member of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST)

• UNESCO Programmes in Ethics of Science and Technology and Goals of this meeting – Dr. Darryl Macer, Regional Advisor in Social and Human Sciences for Asia and the Pacific, a.i., UNESCO Bangkok

• Codes of Ethics in Science and Engineering in Japan, with International Comparisons - Jun Fudano, Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan (Member of COMEST)

• Codes of Ethics in Engineering in India. Speakers include:

1. Professor Dinesh Mohan, Professor and Coordinator, Centre for Biomedical Engineering, IIT, New Delhi

2. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Scientific Secretary to DG, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi

Discussion will focus on mapping existing codes of ethics and conduct relating to physical sciences and engineering in India

13:00 – 14:30 Lunch

14:30 – 17:30 Session 2: Discussion and Review of the 1974 Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers

Chair: Dr. Darryl Macer, UNESCO Bangkok

• Does the 1974 Recommendation fit Emerging Areas of Life Sciences - Prof. P.N. Tandon, President, National Brain Research Centre, Manessar, India (Member of UNESCO International Bioethics Committee).

• Plenary discussion including the following themes:

1. Publication of Ethics and the Internet

2. Commercialization

3. Scientific/Professional Responsibility

4. Identification of specific elements of codes relating to certain professions
 
• Conclusion

20:00 – 21:30 Dinner

Tuesday, 25th April
10:30 – 11:45 To be announced

11:45 – 13:00 Session 3: Roundtable Discussion on Ethical Codes in Life Sciences

Chair: Leila Seth, Jurist, India (Member of COMEST)

Speakers include:

Prof. S.P. Thyagarajan, Vice Chancellor of University of Madras, Chennai

Dr. Nandini Kumar, Deputy Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi

Mr. S. Basu, Advocate, Supreme Court and Associate, Amarchand Mangaldas, New Delhi

Dr. Anwar Nasim, Chairperson, Commission for Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan

Dr. S. K. Tandon, ADG, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi

Discussion will focus on mapping existing codes of ethics and conduct relating to life sciences (including agriculture, biomedical sciences) in India

13:00 – 14:30 Lunch

14:30 – 15:00 Session 4: Discussion on Ethics Codes in Society

Chair: Dr. Darryl Macer, UNESCO Bangkok

Speakers include:

Professor V. V. Krishna, Professor in Science Policy and Chairperson, Centre for Studies in Science Policy (CSSP) School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University

15:00 – 16:00 Comments from the Religious groups:

• Hinduism

• Islam

• Christianity

• Jainism

• Sikhism

16:00 – 17:30  Plenary discussion including the following themes:

1. Review of the Summary form Day 1 (Session 2)

2. Discussion of  the 1974 Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers

3. Commercialization

4. Professional Responsibility

5. Effectiveness of Sanctions and Current Regulations

6. Desirability of Universal Codes across disciplines and between cultures

17:30 – 18:00 Conclusions of the Meeting

Leila Seth, Jurist, India (Member of COMEST)

Darryl Macer, UNESCO Bangkok

20:00 – 21.30  Dinner