Media Briefing on UNESCO’s new global standard on the ethics of Neurotechnology

PRESS RELEASE   Media Briefing on UNESCO's new global standard on the ethics of Neurotechnology     UNESCO's Member States are poised to agree on a comprehensive set of principles to guide the development and deployment of neurotechnology. In mid-November, they will come together to adopt the Organization's 'Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology', the first global standard in this fast-growing field. The Recommendation establishes important guardrails to ensure this frontier technology can benefit all those who need it, without jeopardizing human rights.   When? On Tuesday 4 November at 10.00 Central European Time/14.00 Samarkand Time   Where? In-person in Samarkand at UNESCO's General Conference, and Online   Who? UNESCO's Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO's Assistant Director General of Social and Human Sciences, Lidia Brito, UNESCO's Director of Bioethics and the Ethics of Emerging Technologies, Dafna Feinholz, and Hervé Chneiweiss, Neurologist and Neurobiologist, and President of INSERM's Ethics Committee.   Press Accreditation: Please register here to attend.   1 in 7 people worldwide live with a mental disorder, and neurological conditions rank as the leading cause of ill health and disability globally. Sufferers of Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and treatment-resistant depression hold great hope in Neurotechnology because of its many transformative medical uses. But while the use of neurotechnology in the medical sector is strictly regulated, its use in other domains, such as the commercial sector is not. Many consumers use Neurotechnology without being aware they are doing so; wearable head bands and ear pods allow them to monitor health and well-being indicators such as heart rate and sleeping patterns. But they also harvest our neural data. This data is highly sensitive because it offers deep insights into our private thoughts, reactions and emotions. Currently this data can be sold or passed on to third parties without restriction, seriously jeopardizing our right to mental privacy. The Recommendation is the fruit of an expansive global consultation, which involved two years of expert debate, and a series of intergovernmental negotiations. It will be presented for adoption by UNESCO's Member States at the 43rd session of the General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on either 12 or 13 November 2025. Once formally adopted it will then serve as a blueprint for the ethical and responsible governance of neurotechnology.   Press contact Clare O'HAGAN, c.o-hagan@unesco.org, +33 (0) 1 45 68 17 29   UNESCO Newsroom All our press releases   Social media

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