On 18 December, the UIC Barcelona Faculty of Law organised a seminar to present the latest advances in the project funded by the BBVA Foundation “Ethical conflicts in the management of risks to human health in the face of scientific uncertainty – Risk Management”. Led by lecturer Juan José Guardia Hernández, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law, the project focuses on the detailed examination of public decisions in the absence of scientific consensus.

The presentation brought together academics from the legal and health sector to reach a better understanding of the ethical dilemmas and challenges that arise at the intersection of law, bioethics, and public health. During the seminar, the researchers working on this project presented a bioethics guide for companies, a code for public authorities, and a code for scientific advisory committees. These documents reflect the research team’s efforts to provide practical tools and guidance in handling complex risk management situations. The project also addressed the need for a systematic literature review and a qualitative approach that includes interviews with experts and relevant actors in the field.

One of the notable features of the project has been multidisciplinary collaboration has, as demonstrated by the participation of UIC Barcelona experts such as Professors Ignasi Belda, Isabel Morales, Belén Zárate, Wendy Simon and Ignacio Macpherson. “This seminar allowed us to share the project’s findings, as well as promote a constructive dialogue on how ethical principles can be effectively incorporated into public policies with an impact on health and the environment,” said lead researcher Juan José Guardia.

UIC Barcelona, together with the research group GRE- Law, 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Recovery in Catalonia (RESCAT 2030) led by Maria Mut Bosque, who attended the seminar, continues to conduct research on the legal aspects of sustainable recovery in Catalonia, covering the social, institutional, economic and environmental aspects of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Guardia and his team were successful in a competitive selection process opened by the BBVA Foundation, which received 620 applications. The research group excelled in the field of philosophy and bioethics, receiving one of the 35 grants available for scientific research in this category.