국가생명윤리심의위원회에 대한 운영평가와 향후 정책제언

Abstract

There is no question that biotechnological developments have been, and can be, of great benefit to humankind in increasing life expectancy and improving the quality of life. And we convinced that moral sensibility and ethical reflection should be an integral part of the process of scientific and technological developments and bioethics should play a predominant role in the choices that need to be made concerning issues arising from such developments. In Korea, there is a National Bioethics Committee, responsible to the President, whose function it is to review policies concerning national bioethics and biosafety in the life sciences and biotechnologies. The Committee will be composed of between 16 and 21 persons, including one Chairperson and one Vice-Chairperson. Membership in the Committee shall be as follows. 1.The following ministers will all be members of the Committee: the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Science and Technology, the Minister of Commerce, the Minister of Industry and Energy, the Minister of Health and Welfare, the Minister of Gender Equality, and the Minister of Government Legislation. 2.The president will appoint not more than seven representatives of the academic, scientific, and industrial spheres, each of whom have professional knowledge and experience in the fields of life science or medical science. 3.The president will appoint not more than seven representatives of the fields of religion, philosophy, ethics, social science, law, NGO groups, or gender equality. During three years there are several points in the management of the Committee. Above all, the Committee shall be prominent representatives of the scientific, medical, theological, philosophical, social, legal, ecological and economic worlds. The members of the Committee's members shall belong not to the government with the exception of the Minister of Education and Science and Technology and the Minister of Health and Welfare and Family. And the Committee shall be established as a national forum for dialogue on ethical issues in the life sciences. The Committee shall be the central organ for interdisciplinary discourse between the natural sciences, medicine, theology and philosophy, and the social and legal sciences. It shall organize the social and political debate and ensure that all the relevant groups are involved. It shall provide citizens with information and material for discussion (e.g. exhibitions, publications, Internet forums, etc.). The Committee shall express views on ethical issues relating to new developments in the field of the life sciences and on their consequences for the individual and society. The Committee shall submit recommendations for political and legislative action. The Committee shall work together with the national ethics committees and comparable institutions of other States.