06/05/2024

More than ever, our world needs justice.

While autonomy and freedom of choice received extraordinary attention in the first decades
of the development of bioethics, the resurgence of a world polarized by conflicts and
opinions, fragmented by multiple inequalities and looming with the threat of climate
disaster, makes us realize that of all the values that bioethics promotes, justice is arguably
the most crucial if we are to retain hope for a livable and common world.
The Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics has decided to make Justice in a Global World
the focus of the NEC Forum organized as part of the Belgian presidency of the European
Union.

Fostering justice in a global world is a complex and multifaceted task that requires the
cooperation and commitment of individuals, governments, and international organizations.
Whether we are talking about science, technology, clinical practice or public health policy,
ethical reflection must address the following issues: protecting human rights, addressing
global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change, advocate that the
benefits of economic growth are shared equitably, promoting participation in democratic
processes and inclusive and representative decision-making. 

Policies need to reflect the needs and concerns of all communities, and equitable access to education and health. Because it would be illusory to think of tomorrow’s world without taking care of the past or meeting today’s and future’s challenges, the discussion of the principle of justice and its applications will take place from a 3-fold perspective that allows for these different temporalities through a series of concrete, tangible issues.

The need to acknowledge unjust practices “in the Past” and to promote restorative justice
will be illustrated by the issue of the status and care of human remains; justice “in the
Present” will be addressed through the ethical challenges involved in managing the crises
that are already affecting populations on a global scale, whether they relate to health or the
climate ; justice “in the Future” will guide our ethical explorations of technologies (AI,
organoïds) that point to profound changes in scientific research and society.

Justice to heal the past, justice to meet today’s global crises, and justice to build our future:
Belgium’s program for this 33rd edition of the NEC Forum.