Paris, May 16, 2025. The Permanent Delegation of Cuba to UNESCO participated, from May 12 to 16, in the Intergovernmental Meeting of Experts for the Preparation of a Final Draft Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology, held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.
During this meeting, Member States reviewed the first draft of the proposed recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology, a document that proposes ethical principles and guidelines to regulate the development and use of these emerging technologies, with a focus on the protection of human rights and dignity.
Among the main topics discussed were the need to ensure the privacy of neural data, prevent cognitive manipulation without consent, avoid algorithmic discrimination, and guarantee equitable access to neurotechnologies. Ethical governance mechanisms, international oversight, and accountability of the actors involved in the development and commercialization of these technologies were also addressed.
This initiative responds to the mandate given by the 42nd General Conference of UNESCO in November 2023, regarding the development of an international standard-setting instrument on the ethics of neurotechnologies. Since then, UNESCO has worked intensively through consultations with experts, institutional stakeholders, and Member States to produce a normative instrument that, in the form of a recommendation, will be submitted for adoption at the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO, scheduled for November 2025.
Through its active participation in this process, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to strengthening international ethical frameworks for the use of emerging technologies, in support of sustainable human development and the defense of fundamental rights.