The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.

The steps toward the adoption by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights took a number of years and generated considerable controversy. This editorial reviews the principal provisions in the Declaration and argues that the Declaration constitutes an important formalisation on the basis of international consensus of the fundamental attributes of bioethical work undertaken by medical practitioners and scientists. However, the Declaration is only a beginning; many challenges lie ahead to ensure its effective implementation.