International symposium on children and clinical research: report published

On 3-4 March, the Council hosted an international symposium on children and clinical research with the Global Health Bioethics Network at the Ethox Centre, University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research.

The event brought together people from around the world with knowledge of developing, reviewing, or carrying out research with young people in order to explore how the recommendations made in the Council's report Children and clinical research: ethical issues apply in a wide range of environments and contexts outside of the UK. One of the key aims of the symposium was to develop practical recommendations for research and research governance to help facilitate and improve research with children worldwide.

Participants at the symposium included:

• Members of the Council's Working Party on children and clinical research
• Researchers from the UK, Thailand, Singapore, Kenya, Peru, Malawi, India, South Africa, Ghana, Cambodia
• Representatives from the World Health Organisation, the Pan American Health Organization, the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), the London Young People’s Advisory Group, the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council

The symposium was structured around five 'ethical challenges' discussed in the Council's report: 'vulnerability', childhood and engagement; welfare, research and access to healthcare; the idea of a 'fair offer'; professional responsibility and ethical scrutiny; and the role of parents in decision making.

A report of the symposium, including pledges made by participants as follow up from the event, has now been published.

Download the report of international symposium on children and clinical research.

Participants of the international symposium, London, 3 March 2016