Dr. Ole Döring, Tarrytown 1 Engaging Multiple Layers of Civil Society - Towards Effective Ethical Governance Horst-Görtz-Stiftungsinstitut, Bonhoefferweg 3a,

Global Challenges How can ethical governance be organised when effective national policies or a robust culture of law are missing? Can „muddling-through“ continue to be our strategy? How can we reclaim shared priorities of stakes in bioethics? How can we work towards a culture of ethics, emancipated from political agendas or structural barriers such as legalistic or formal organization control? What are the implications for effective global policies?

Global Challenges: some Chinese Issues National –Genetic discrimination: illegal but practiced –Sex-selective abortion: illegal but practiced Inter- or transnational –Therapeutic & reproductive tourism: morally banned –Organ trafficking: illegal but practiced Is “implementation of good law” the problem?

Ethics Agenda Revisited Policy purpose: –Communication (people) –Interaction (governing frastructures) –Translation (cultures / systems) Governance function: –Organise system structures that make interfaces work –Manage inconsistencies, make diversity flourish –Prevent contradictions & double standards Ethics frame: –Thin normative substance; rich empirical adaptivity –Remain true to core concerns, values & principles

„Thin“ Ethics Code Respect for –the human being (general ethics) –justice (political ethics) –health (ethics in biomedicine), implies being attentive to –context –actual meaning and impact & care for practical strategies to advance and empower the people to organise their lives in a healthy, just and resepctful manner.

Procedural Open-ended provisionary system: –Undogmatic, coherent, redundant & self-learning –Encourage humanism in any form and context –Identify unfair & unfeasible instruments (e.g., IC, ER) Requires multiple layers of checks and balances, monitoring, reporting, reward failure report, adjustment: –Apply the already existing policy tools, reality set-on –Coopt private sector and civil actors, bi- & multilateral Who shall define and decide what works and what’s fair? : –Open plural process (participation), no expertocracy (exclusion) –Clarifying code of modesty and dedication

Reflection Clarify language & perspective: –Biology –Politics, Law, Economy –Cultural / system hegemony Attentive approach: –Mindful of tension between form & substance –Self-reflection and sincerity –Sense of proportion in defining action priorities Counter ideology, hypocrisy, fear and hype: –Thin normative substance; rich empirical base –Remain true to core concerns, values & principles Where are the good models?

Opportunities for Global Humanity Inspire and enact humane concern as policy generator Alliances beyond traditional entrenchments: care and pragmatism Prudential subsidiarity introduces plurality and orchestration of power - enhances Chance to rehabilitate ethics as a global venture Realistic? Rather perpetuate the hegemony of historically contingent systems? Courage and discipline to take humanism serious for all Example for other areas of modernisation?

Is “implementation of good law” the problem? –Twofold cultural issues: Chinese and Global Modernity –Meaning of policy instruments such as law is context specific & needs to be adapted and introduced properly –The emergence of a new culture of humane ethics can be supported by good models, both, within countries and trans-national. –The “developed” North is obliged to (1) find better policies (respect, justice & health) and (2) overcome double international standards, to build trust and commitment.