Abstract
The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights at the General Assembly of UNESCO on October 19, 2005 was an epoch-making accomplishment for the development of Bioethics in the 21^<St> Century. The author, an international Bioethicist since the 1970s, recognizes a unique element of this UN document. In its preamble, this document makes references to some international guidelines relating to biomedicine developed by international non-governmental organizations such as Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOSMS) and World Medical Association (WMA). It also includes references made by other relevant inter-governmental organizations such as WHO and Council of Europe. It is quite unique to see guidelines made and accumulated during the formative era of Bioethics included as a reference resource in a UN document. The contents of this Declaration and some topics relating to Bioethics principles debated in Tokyo at the International Bioethics Committee meeting in 2005 are also analyzed through Asian cultural perspectives.
