1. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity Human Genome = Heritage of Mankind ?

2. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity What is the Human Genome?

3. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity What does “common heritage of mankind” means and how did it emerged?

4. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity The Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and the Human Rights (UDHGHR) explains in its 1st article that the genome, as it recongnizes the dignity and diversity of all mankind, is the heritage of humanity.

5. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity Article 2 states that everyone has a right torespect for their dignity and human rights regardless of their genetic characteristics. Furthermore, article 3 and 6 express a deepconcern about discrimination based ongenetic characteristics and condemns geneticreductionism.

6. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity The possibility of patenting a gene or gene sequence in its natural state is excluded. – Nevertheless, article 4 doesn't preclude the rise to intellectual property rights resulting from genetic research.

7. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity Article 5 sets the principle of precaution and the principle of prior, free and informed consent. Allowing, nonetheless, the possibility of “affirmative” discrimination.

8. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity The respect for privacy is seen as essencial, since there could exist cases of abusive practices by insurance companies and employers (article 7 and 8). In order to assure this, article 9, prescribes that only compelling and legal reasons may present as limitations to this principle.

9. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity Regarding research on this subject, the UDHGHR states that practices contrary to human dignity shall not be permitted – as clonning, selection of embryos based on sex, or the creation of men-animals etc.

10. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity Concerning the exercise of this research, article 13 to 16 stress that, despite freedom of research, findings in this field should be subject to particular attention due to its ethical and social implications They also point that states shall foster the conditions favourable to such research and the creation of multidisciplinary ethics committees.

11. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity Finally, the UDGHHR highlights the importance of education – encouraging exchanges and networking between independent ethics committees – and the need for an international debate.

12. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity The main focus of discussion turns around the possibility of patenting genes Side by side, with another major issue, the possible arising of eugenist conceptions.

13. The Human Genome as a Heritage of Humanity