Youth Parliament To Debate At BPIS Conference
A debate presented by Bermuda Principles Impact on Splicing [BPIS] Conference will feature the Youth Parliament on Wednesday, March 1 at Fairmont Southampton, with a beach buffet dinner from 5.30pm to 7.00pm and the Youth Parliament Debate running from 7.00pm until 9.00pm.
A spokesperson said, “The Story of The Bermuda Principles: In February 1996, Bermuda became a part of scientific history. At the International Strategy Meeting on Human Genome Sequencing, 50 scientists from the UK and USA selected the island as a neutral meeting location. Their goal? To negotiate the completion of The Human Genome Project [HGP].
“Between 1990 and 2003 numerous labs undertook a mission to sequence the complete human genome. With this extensive collaboration came uncertainty about the fate of the gene sequences once deduced.
“Would each lab obtain a patent on their sequenced gene and sell this for profit? Or would they all be made publicly available to advance scientific research?
“To the benefit of global society, this collection of scientists held strong to the conviction that medical advancement should overrule financial gain. An agreement, entitled The Bermuda Principles, cemented the legacy of these values and all gene sequences were issued freely to the worldwide community.
“The impact of The Bermuda Principles on the pace and depth of scientific research has been pivotal to scientific medical advancement and set a solid ethical precedent for future research.
“The Debate: Imagine that the International Strategy Meeting is taking place again today and the Bermuda Principles Agreement is being renegotiated. The Bermuda Government has been granted ownership of the patent on every sequenced gene.
“You have the task of debating whether Bermuda will retain the rights to sell for profit, eliminating Bermuda’s debt and making the island incredibly prosperous or maintaining the original agreement terms and continuing free scientific advancement.
“This House would monetise The Human Genome Project for the benefit of Bermuda.”
For more information, visit the website; to register, click here.
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