Human dignity and human rights as a common ground for a global bioethics

The principle of respect for human dignity plays a key role in emerging global norms on bioethics, in particular the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. This instrument, which is a legal document and not just an ethical one, can be seen as an extension of international human rights law into the field of biomedicine. Although the Declaration does not explicitly define human dignity, it would be a mistake to treat the accentuation of this concept as a mere rhetorical strategy. Rather, the reference to dignity reflects a genuine concern for the need to foster respect for both the intrinsic worth of human beings and the integrity of the human species. However, dignity alone will not solve most of the dilemmas posed by the

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biomedical practice. Therefore, international biopower combines, on the one hand, an appeal to human dignity as an overarching principle with, on the other hand, an appeal to human rights as an effective and practical way to address bioethical issues at a global level.

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