A cademy of S cientific R esearch & T echnology

1. Academy of Scientific Research & Technology Mervat Elshabrawy, MD A. Prof. Ophthalmology& Ophthalmic Surgery, FOM, SCU, Egypt Certified Trainer of International Research Ethics, Maryland U, USA Member of Scientific Research Ethics , ASRT, Cairo, Egypt Member of RDIC- BEST, ASRT, Cairo, Egypt

2. Regional Documentation and Information Centre for Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology (RDIC-BEST), ASRT, Cairo, Egypt 2

3. Introduction • Recent advances in science and technology have great potential to ameliorate the wellbeing of humanity, but at the same time serious ethical concerns have been raised throughout the world in this regard. • And with increasing globalization, health sciences are undergoing revolutionary changes. • This recent growth in biomedical and health-related research activities should be accompanied by a corresponding enhancement of the bioethics application and infrastructure in many resource-poor countries including the countries in our Region.

4. The need to strengthen bioethics in the Region has been recognized at all levels. • There was the First Meeting for the Eastern Mediterranean and Arab Forum on Bioethics in Research (12-14 August 2008) Venue: EMRO Office, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt Forum Partner Organizations: • Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO (EMRO) • UNESCO Cairo Office for the Arab Region. • Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) • Middle East Research Ethics Training Initiative (MERETI), University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), USA.

5. UNESCO UNESCO, as an international agency mandated to ethics in order to address these important issues by establishing : • the International Bioethics Committee (IBC) in 1993. • and the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) in 1998.

8. One of the most important mandates of UNESCO is to assist Member States in capacity-building to address ethical issues raised by the development of scientific research and biomedicine. • UNESCO promotes standard-setting, the establishment of ethics committees, bioethics education, information dissemination and awareness-raising in these fields. • UNESCO has developed a number of ethics databases referred to as the Global Ethics Observatory (GEObs) which store information on ethics experts, institutions, teaching programmes, laws and guidelines, codes of conduct and resources which are collected from all over the world.

9. Regional Documentation and Information Centre for Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology (RDIC-BEST) • A Regional Documentation and Information Centre for Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology (RDIC-BEST) has been inaugurated on 29 March 2010 in Cairo, Egypt, at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology of Egypt. • It was established with the support of UNESCO's Programme on Social and Human Sciences. • RDIC-BEST is the third centre of its kind to be created; after those opened in Lithuania (2004) and in Kenya (2007). • This centre will be a key player in promoting and developing activities on bioethics and ethics of sciences and technology in the whole Arab region, beginning by coordinating and sharing regional data on these fields through the Global Ethics Observatory of UNESCO.

10. Why RDIC-BEST at ASRT, Egypt? • The Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) of Egypt is considered the home of Egyptian scientists from various universities, centers, research institutes following various ministries and other societal sectors. • Through out its 40 years, the academy has offered numerous scientific and technological services, in the framework of continuous development done by the academy. • Also, It offeres numerous collaborative works in our Arab & East Mediterranean area; therefore, it is most appropriate for the academy to host this vital centre by support of UNESCO to perfect its services to the community of science and technology in Egypt as well as the Arab region.

11. Mission Providing affordable access to the widest possible range of national, regional and international materials related to bioethics and ethics in science and technology and fostering science in public interest

12. Function Data Collection : collecting data of bioethics and allied sciences from the region (Literature, Experts, Organizations….etc) Data organization: Organizing data through the main functions (documentation, cataloguing, indexing, authority lists for experts…etc) Dissemination: Disseminate information to the region through the current awareness services, automatic alerts, website updates, Electronic newsletter, media, conf.,....etc.)

13. The 1st Preparatory Meeting of (RDIC-BEST) March 27, 2010

14. Organization of RDIC-BEST, Egypt Regional Advisory Committee 1-Prof. Mohamed Tarek Hussein, Cairo University, Egypt 2-Prof. Tarek Shawki, Director, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science in Arab States, Cairo, Egypt 3-Prof. Adnan Badran, Former Prime Minister, President of Petra University, Jordan 4-Prof. Abduaziz Mohammed Alswailem, Chairman of the National Committee of Bioethics, Saudi Arabia 5-Prof. Samira Barghouthi, Quds University, Palestine 6-Prof. Mohamed Elarbi Aouane, Director of NABNet, NEPAD, Tunisia 7-Prof. Saad Eldin Helaly, El Azhar University, Egypt 8-Consultant: Eskander Ghattas, expert of human rights and ethics, member of People's Assembly, Egypt

15. Organization of RDIC-BEST, Egypt Technical Egyptian committee 1-Prof. Hassan Abouel-Enein, Mansoura University 2-Prof. Nabil Abdel Maksoud, Cairo University 3-Prof. Wafaa Abdel Aal, National Research Centre 4-Prof. Mervat El Shabrawy, Suez Canal University 5-Prof. Maged El Setohy, Ain Shams University 6-Prof. Atef Badran, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University 7-Prof. Magdy Gebreal Shehata, Ain Shams University 8-Prof. Azza Radwan, Theodor Belharz Institute 9-Prof. Yehia Z. Gad, STDF 10-Mrs. Buthaina Abdel-Hamid, Deputy Editor, Algumhoria newspaper

16. Organization of RDIC-BEST, Egypt Executive committee Prof. Mahmoud Sakr, Supervisor of the Bureau Eng. Ola Lourance, Co-supervisor Eng. Rabab Rashwan, Member Dr. Amr Radwan, Member Dr. Nadia Al-Ansary, Member Mr. Amr Kenway, Member Miss Rania Anis, Member Mrs. Nagia Hasanain, Member

17. Regional Focal Points • Jordan • Lebanon • Sudan • Yemen • Syria • Saudi Arabia • Palestine • Libya • Tunisia

18. Official Opening: March 29, 2010

20. Inauguration Ceremony of RDIC-BEST / 29 March,2010 • The centre has been inaugurated on Monday 29 March 2010 by Dr Hany Helal, Former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr Tarek Hussein, Former President of Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and Dr Tarek Shawki, Director of UNESCO Office in Cairo along with Dr Henk ten Have, UNESCO’s Director of the Division of Ethics of Science and Technology, Dr Yehia Halim Zaki, Head of the Academic and Cultural Sector of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Dr. Farkhanda Hassan, Chair of Research Ethics Council, ASRT, Dr. Abdulaziz Alswailem, Chairman of the National Committee of Biomedical Ethics-KSA and Dr. Mohamed Aouane, Director of NABNet, NEPAD-Tunisia and in the presence of a big number of distinguished guests and experts on bioethics.

21. Inauguration Ceremony of “Regional Documentation and Information Center on Bioethics and Ethics of S&T” RDIC-BEST 29th March, 2010, at Marriot Hotel, Cairo

22. Locationof RDIC-BEST ASRT, 101 Kasr El-Aini Str. ASRT Building, 5th floor • www. rdic-best.net.eg • www.asrt.sci.eg

29. The 1st Activity of RDIC-BEST, Egypt March 30, 2010

31. Workshop of “Ethics in Science and Technology in the Arab Region” March 30, 2010 at National Research Center (NRC), Egypt

32. THANK YOU THANK YOU mershabrawy@yahoo.com Cell phone: 0105163965