Key points for developing an international declaration on nursing, human rights, human genetics and public health policy

Human rights legislation pertaining to applications of human genetic scienc e is still lacking at an international level. Three international human rig hts documents now serve as guidelines for countries wishing to develop such legislation. These were drafted and adopted by the United Nations Educatio nal, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Human Genome Organization, a nd the Council of Europe. It is critically important that the international nursing community makes known its philosophy and practice-based knowledge relating to ethics and human rights, and contributes to the globalization o f genetics. Nurses have particular expertise because they serve in a unique role at grass roots level to mediate between genetic science and its appli cation to public health policies and medical interventions. As a result, nu rses worldwide need to focus a constant eye on human rights ideals and inte rpret these within social, cultural, economic and political contexts at nat ional and local levels. The purpose of this article is to clarify and legitimate the need for an in ternational declaration on nursing, human rights, human genetics and public health policy. Because nurses around the world are the professional workfo rce by which genetic health care services and genetic research protocols wi ll be delivered in the twenty-first century, members of the discipline of n ursing need to think globally while acting locally. Above all other discipl ines involved in genetics, nursing is in a good position to articulate an e xpanded theory of ethics beyond the principled approach of biomedical ethic s. Nursing is sensitive to cultural diversity and community values; it is s ympathetic to and can introduce an ethic of caring and relational ethics th at listen to and accommodate the needs of local people and their requiremen ts for public health.