Human Rights and Emerging Technologies

What is the state of current European governance on new and emerging technologies, and where is it going? What is, and what can be, the role of human rights in governance arrangements? These are the main questions that this book answers for both European and non-European scholars. It provides a wide picture of current European governance, notably in biotechnology, nanotechnology and synthetic biology, and discusses the model of Responsible Research and Innovation, which is gaining popularity within the European Union, under a human rights perspective. It shows how human rights can contribute to governance frameworks without posing obstacles to research and innovation.

The theory presented in the book is followed by practical guidelines drawn from human rights law. Starting from the Strasbourg Court jurisprudence, it provides a complete review of the wide range of rights that the European Convention on Human Rights protects in light of the challenges of techno-scientific advances. This analysis will come in handy for private actors, policymakers, regulators, as well as judges in solving hard cases raised by techno-scientific progress in the future.

Autorentext

Daniele Ruggiu received his PhD in law in 2008. He is assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, Law, and International Studies in the University of Padova, Italy, where he teaches Legal Theory. His main interests include the impact of emerging technologies on human rights with special attention to the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the system of the Council of Europe.

Dr Ruggiu has worked on several EU-funded projects on new and emerging technologies (Synth-Ethics, EPOCH, ResAgora, etc.), published in several international scientific publications (Nanoethics; Biotechnology Law Report; Law, Innovation & Technology; European Journal of Law and Technology, etc.), and participated in several national and international conferences. He was a member of the Centre on Environmental, Ethical, Legal and Social Decisions on Emerging Technologies (CIGA) at the University of Padova (2009-2015), of the Society for the Studies of New and Emerging Technologies (S.NET). He is part of the editorial board of Ars Interpretandi: Journal of Legal Hermeneutics.

Inhalt

Part 1: Introduction and historical perspective of the growth of human rights in the debate on the techno-scientific progress at the international level.

Analysis of the rising governance on biotechnology, nanotechnologies and synthetic biology.

Theoretical analysis of the new governance paradigm as applied in the field of emerging technologies.

Theoretical analysis of the main tendencies within the Responsible Research and Innovation framework.

Analysis of risk assessment models within Responsible Research and Innovation.

Correctives for strengthening governance arrangements inspired by Responsible Research and Innovation according to human rights.

Part 2: An extended review of rights that the European Convention on Human Rights protects in light of the challenges of the techno-scientific advances.

Human dignity with regard to human genetic modification.

The right to health in the context of the development of nanotechnologies.

The right to bodily integrity vis-à-vis human enhancement technologies.

The right to a healthy environment related to geoengineering.

Privacy in the workplace with regard to artificial intelligence systems.

Freedom of scientific research and epidemiological integrated studies of culture and population health.