Event
Discussion Panel on Neurotechnology at the Crossroad of Human Rights and Ethics
In the framework of the elaboration of the UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology, join us for a dynamic panel exploring the human rights and ethical opportunities and challenges in the age of neurotechnology.
As neurotechnology advances, interventions that interact directly with the brain could reshape human experience, affecting thoughts, behaviours, and perceptions in unprecedented ways. Discussing ethics and human rights in this context is essential due to the profound implications this field holds for individual autonomy, privacy, and mental integrity. How can we balance risks and benefits? Can we alleviate suffering whilst preventing manipulation and misuse of brain data? Where do we stand in terms of human rights landscapes? What are the new ethical challenges raised by the convergence of neurotechnology and artificial intelligence?
This panel will offer an opportunity to discuss these critical issues, delving into the work of UNESCO and its first draft Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology and of the Human Rights Council and its recent report on the Impact, opportunities and challenges of neurotechnology with regard to the promotion and protection of all human rights.
Background
UNESCO, with its leading role in promoting ethical science, recognizes that ethics serves as a pivotal enabler for the protection and advancement of human rights, particularly within the rapidly evolving field of neurotechnology. Conversely, human rights remain at the core of ethical deliberations, guiding the responsible and equitable application of neurotechnology. This reciprocal relationship underscores UNESCO's commitment to fostering an environment where ethical considerations and human rights mutually reinforce each other, thereby promoting the safe and just use of neurotechnological advancements for the benefit of all. 
Registration Link
(in person participation only)
Moderator
Dafna Feinholz Klip
Dafna Feinholz is the Chief of the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section, within UNESCO’s Social and Human Science Sector. In this capacity, she is responsible of the normative and global reflection in this field, including on the ethics of artificial intelligence, the ethics of climate and change and currently the ethics of neurotechnology. She leads different activities aiming at reinforcing capacities of Member States to manage bioethical challenges and to identify the ethical, legal and social implications of cutting-edge scientific advancements and emerging technologies. Previously, she represented Mexico in the development of UNESCO’s standard-setting instrument, the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.
Participants
Gabriela RAMOS
Gabriela Ramos is the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO, where she oversees the institution's contributions to building inclusive societies. Her mandate includes tackling economic inequalities of income and opportunity, and promoting social inclusion and gender equality. She also oversees the youth support agenda, promotion of values through sport, fight against racism and discrimination, and ethics of science, including ethics of artificial intelligence, neurotechnology and the internet of things.
Thomas SÃœDHOF
Dr. Thomas Südhof is a German-American biochemist and professor in the school of medicine in the department of molecular and cellular physiology at Stanford University. In 2013, Südhof won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on vesicle trafficking. In 2023, Südhof was appointed by United Nations Secretary General António Guterres to the United Nations' Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Südhof also serves on the advisory boards of several leading biotech companies, including Alector, Danaher and NeuroCentria. In addition, Südhof has been an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1986.
Hervé CHNEIWEISS
Dr Hervé Chneiweiss, neuroscientist and neurologist, is Director of the Neuroscience-Paris Seine-IBPS Laboratory (CNRS INSERM Sorbonne University), and co-leader of the Glial Plasticity and Neuro-oncology team. Since 2013, he has been Chairperson of the Ethics Committee of the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM). In 2017, he was appointed expert to the OECD's BNCT ("Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technology") working party, for the elaboration of a good-practice guide for the medical use of neurotechnologies. Since 2023, he has been a member of the Neuroethics group of the International Brain Initiative and in 2024 was elected chair of the EBRAINS Ethics and Society Committee. Dr Chneiweiss is also a former member of the National Advisory Ethics for the Life Sciences and the former chairperson of UNESCO's International Bioethics Committee (IBC).
Milena COSTAS TRASCASAS
Milena Costas Trascasas is a United Nations Human Rights independent expert and a member of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee since 2019. She has been the rapporteur of the Study on Neurotechnology and Human Rights that has been submitted to the Human Rights Council in September 2024. She is also Member of the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Communications and member of the OSCE-ODIHR Panel of Experts on Freedom of Assembly and Association. Milena Costas Trascasas works also a senior Consultant on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law with the Spanish Red Cross and as consultant and collaborator teacher with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), focusing on the master on Human Rights, Democracy and Globalization since 2012. She also teaches in the master programme on Governance and Human Rights of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid since 2022.
Ayaka SUZUKI
Ms. Ayaka Suzuki has three decades of experience with an emphasis on international peace and security and more recently in emerging technologies and innovation. She has been serving as the Director of Strategic Planning and Monitoring Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) in the United Nations since 2017. Prior to this, Ms. Suzuki served as the Chief of Staff of the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and Field Support (DFS) at United Nations Headquarters in New York where she served in a number of other senior-level positions as well as in field-based Special Political Missions and Peacekeeping Operations.
Tim ENGELHARDT
Tim Engelhardt’s work at the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) focusses on the impacts of new and emerging technologies on the enjoyment of human rights. Prior to joining OHCHR, he worked at the World Intellectual Property Organisation and in private legal practice, where he specialised in ICT related matters. He was a co-founder of the Humboldt Internet Law Clinic in Berlin. He has trained as a German and US lawyer and holds an LL.M. from Columbia Law School and a Ph.D. from Zurich University.
