About Us

The International Association of Bioethics (IAB) facilitates contact, networking and exchange of ideas and resources amongst those working in bioethics and related fields in different parts of the world. The IAB encourages the development of bioethics research, teaching, and practice, while upholding the value of free, open, and reasoned discussion. It aims to promote the visibility and the dissemination of bioethics scholarly work and activism. It encourages the discussion of cross-cultural aspects of bioethics and seeks to support early career bioethicists and those working in regions that face challenges and barriers.

The IAB organizes the bi-annual World Congress of Bioethics (WCB), the largest gathering of bioethics scholars and thought-leaders in the world, that takes place in different regions of the world. The IAB has hundreds of members and provides support through travel bursaries to allow broad participation in the WCB. The IAB also publishes a monthly Bulletin that disseminates bioethics information (such as events, training or funding opportunities, key policy developments and publications) from around the globe.

The IAB seeks to meet its objectives with the support of its Board of Directors by, for example, developing networks in specific fields of bioethics; promoting and assisting the development of regional organizations; linking existing regional organizations; promoting contact between international organizations and scholars in bioethics; consulting with international organizations on issues in bioethics; assisting scholars in bioethics, especially those in developing nations; and providing support for scholars whose freedom to discuss questions of bioethics has been restricted or is under threat.