The 18th meeting of the Bioethics Committee of the Council of Europe (DH-BIO) was held online on the KUDO platform on June 1-4. At the meeting attended by representatives of 47 countries, Azerbaijan was represented by a leading researcher of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies of ANAS, Scientific Secretary of the National Bioethics Committee of Azerbaijan, Gulnara Balakishiyeva.

On the first day of the meeting, a consultant, Dr. Piers Gooding (Australia), presented a project with examples of experiences in promoting volunteerism in terms of mental health. Delegations, participants, and observers exchanged views on the Compendium project and the measures to be taken to complete it. The delegations expressed their general support for the work carried out by Dr. Gooding.

The report, “Improving Health Literacy for Equitable Access to Health Services - Towards a Guide Describing Health Literacy Policies, Strategies, and Services,” was presented by consultants Leena Paakkari (Finland) and Kristine Sørensen (Denmark). Afterward, the delegations exchanged views on finalizing the report and preparing a guide.

The results of the complementary work on the accumulation of experience in the promotion of voluntary measures in mental health were considered, and it was recommended to postpone until the 19th Plenary Session the vote on the Additional Protocol on the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity in Mental Health Services concerning Compulsory Placement and Treatment.

The meeting also noted that following the Declaration on Gene Editing Technology adopted in December 2015 and the Strategic Action Plan for Biomedical Human Rights and Technology (2020-2025), Article 13 of the Oviedo Convention of the Bioethics Committee (DH-BIO) was discussed in terms of innovations in human genome editing.

At the end of the meeting, the Committee voted to elect Mark Bale (United Kingdom) as a member of the Bureau for a two-year term, and the next meetings were scheduled for November 2-5, 2021, and May 31-June 3, 2022.