Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), in collaboration with Ministry of Education, organized the Conference on the Ethics of Science & Technology and Sustainable Development on 5-6 July 2019 the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao in Bangkok. The Conference provides an open forum for the exchange of idea and information on the ethics of science and technology and its implications to sustainable development and to create public awareness on the issue. The meeting also presents an opportunity for networking and future collaboration among participants and observers.
On this occasion, NSTDA organized a session on “Ethical and Societal Challenges toward Genome Technology” with two invited world-renowned experts -- Prof. Carlos María Romeo Casabona, Professor of Criminal Law and Director of the Interuniversity Chair of Law and Human Genome at the University of the Basque Country (Spain) and Prof. Jonathan D. Moreno, Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania (USA) -- sharing their views and experiences on the issues. The two experts were joined by Dr. Surakameth Mahasirimongkol of Department of Medical Sciences and Dr. Prasit Phowthongkum of Chulalongkorn University who reported on policy research and guideline development for genetic testing in Thailand and ethics and regulation of genome technology and the challenge to establish norm in developing countries, respectively. The four experts then participated in a panel discussion on “Ethical and Legal Management of Genome Technology in the Global Context”.
The Conference on the Ethics of Science & Technology and Sustainable Development is part of a week-long event held from 2-7 July 2019, led by the 26th (Ordinary) Session of the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee (IBC) and the 11th (Ordinary) Session of the UNESCO World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) which the Thai Government had an honor to host.