WHO expert advisory committee on developing global standards for governance and oversight of human genome editing: report of the first meeting

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a global, multi-disciplinary expert panel to examine the scientific, ethical, social and legal challenges associated with human genome editing (both somatic and germline). The Committee includes members from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, North America and South America.

The Committee has been tasked to advise and make recommendations on appropriate institutional, national, regional and global governance mechanisms for human genome editing. During the course of its work, the Committee will review literature on current human genome editing research and its applications, consider existing proposals for governance and relevant ongoing initiatives, as well as solicit information about societal attitudes towards the different uses of this technology. The Committee will explore how best to promote transparent and trustworthy practices and how to ensure appropriate assessments are performed prior to any relevant work being undertaken.

Work of the meeting

From 18–19 March 2019, 17 out of the 18 members of the Committee, and observers from eight organizations met in Geneva, Switzerland (Annex 1). The meeting was opened by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO. As part of its work, the Committee considered declared interests amongst its members, discussed the roles and responsibilities of membership, and reviewed its statement of task.

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Health Ethics & Governance