Doha: Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF) H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attended the inauguration of the 17th World Congress of Bioethics in Doha yesterday, the first edition of this touchstone event to be held in the Arab World.
The Congress being held from June 3 to 6 at the Qatar National Convention Centre is organised by Hamad Bin Khalifa University's Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) and the World Innovation Summit for Health, the global health initiative of Qatar Foundation. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Religion, Culture and Global Bioethics’.
HBKU President Dr. Ahmad M Hasnah, in his opening remarks, said, “It is important to highlight that the main challenge facing humanity has been [always] the ethical challenge. Whether in science, medicine, artificial intelligence (AI) or global politics, we live in a very dynamic world. Ethical challenges are rising on multiple fronts and dimensions and are impacting humanity. Not a single point of view, philosophy or approach should be the subject of ethical discussions and policy formulations.
“A more comprehensive multi-view discussion needs to be adopted. We at Hamad Bin Khalifa University believe that no voice be left out and discussion around bioethics must have all voices around the table and that different perspectives have equal rights. We have worked hard to achieve a more inclusive event, welcoming different voices and diverse approaches, besides the usual dominant perspective, to provide opportunities for the underrepresented voices from Asia, Africa and South America. The support of the university made it possible for a sizable participation in this edition from underprivileged countries.”
Sultana Afdhal, WISH CEO and co-chair of the event, said: “We are delighted to see months of hard work come to fruition as we witness the gathering of the world’s most renowned bioethicists and scholars in Qatar for this very special 17th edition of the World Congress of Bioethics."
The WISH CEO added: “Balancing international perspectives and evidence-based best practices in health with those rooted in the religious values and cultural traditions of Qatar, the Gulf region, and the broader Arab-Muslim world has been a cornerstone of our approach at WISH, exemplified by our long-term series on healthcare ethics. As such, we appreciate the opportunity to launch the upcoming WISH topic on the ethical management of AI in healthcare at such a landmark event in the presence of thought-leaders from the bioethics community, and we look forward to continued collaboration with HBKU and CILE in this critical field.”
“The World Congress of Bioethics is an esteemed and the largest gathering of bioethicists globally. This edition is distinctive in its location, scene and setting. This is the first time that the Congress is being held in an Arab country and the Muslim world,” said the host of the event, Laila Al Shaikhli, a principal presenter on Al Jazeera TV (Arabic) during the opening ceremony yesterday.
“By focusing on underexplored intersection between religion, culture and global bioethics and advocating for broader support, it covers previously unrepresented countries. We look to the congress to stand as a hallmark of diversity, pluralism and universal discourse in bioethics,” she said.
“It is now more than ever as the fundamental principles of bioethics are being compromised. We are bearing witness to systemic targeting of healthcare institutions, professionals and human lives and the ongoing violations being committed against them.”
Director CILE, Mohammed Ghaly and Chair of the Congress, moderated a panel discussion titled, ‘Reaching worlds and intersecting pathways: Religion, culture, diversity and global bioethics.’ Panellists included Sultana Afdhal; Dr. Casesar Atuire, President of the International Association of Bioethics; Dr. Voo Teck Chuan, Communication Officer of the International Association of Bioethics; Dr. Said Ismail, Acting President and Chief Scientific and Operations Officer of Qatar Precision Health Institute; Dr. Khalid Fakhro, Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine; and Dr. Julian Savulescu, Director, Centre for Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore.
