Media release

From: World Health Organization

New recommendations on human genome editing

Virtual press conference, Monday 12 July from 13.00 to 14.00 CEST

On 12 July 2021, WHO will launch two new companion reports providing the first global recommendations to help ensure that human genome editing is used for public health, with an emphasis on safety, effectiveness and ethics.

The forward-looking new reports result from the first broad, global consultation looking at somatic, germline and heritable human genome editing

One report focuses on a new governance framework that identifies specific tools, institutions and scenarios to illustrate practical challenges in implementing, regulating and overseeing research into the human genome whilst the second report focuses on recommendation both specific to human genome editing and broader systemic issues that need to be considered to enable the effective implementation of the potential of human genome editing technologies.

The reports are a result of the work of WHO Advisory Committee on Human Genome Editing established in December 2018.

Please note that at this stage embargoed material is provided to journalists ONLY. All documents will be published live on Monday on WHO website at 14:00 CEST

Virtual press conference: Monday, 12 July at 13:00 CEST

Opening remarks:

·         Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist

·         Dr Margaret Hamburg, Co-Chair, former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and former Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Medicine, United States of America

Speakers:

·         Professor Francoise Baylis, Dalhousie University, Canada

·         Professor Maneesha S. Inamdar, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India

·         Professor Kazuto Kato, Osaka University, Japan

·         Professor Robin Lovell Badge, The Francis Crick Institute, United Kingdom

·         Professor Anne Wangari Thairu-Muigai, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya