The Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) hosted the tasks of the 3rd regional meeting of National Bioethics Committees.

Titled "Ethics and Governance of Digital Innovations and Biotechnology", the meeting was held under the auspices of HH Sayyid Dr. Fahad Al Julanda Al Said, SQU Vice-Chancellor.

Organized jointly by UNESCO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with the National Bioethics Committee and the SQU, the meeting was aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and coordination between committees concerned in the region.

Emphasis was laid on collective action to deal with emerging issues related to bioethics and means of developing the functions of national bioethics committees.

In his speech, Dr. John Jabbour, Representative of the WHO in Muscat, stressed the significance of exchanging expertise on ethical issues with the prime objective of striking a balance between freedom and scientific responsibility.

The first day included two dialogue sessions: the first one was titled “Human Rights in Science—for a more Inclusive Society”. The second session covered the roles of national bioethics committees in Arab countries and the Middle East. It took the title “Developing competences and general political dialogues from a national and regional perspective”.