Declaration of Helsinki

The Declaration of Helsinki (DoH) is the WMA's best-known policy statement. The
first version was adopted in 1964 and has been amended seven times since, most
recently at the General Assembly in October 2013. The current (2013) version is the
only official one; all previous versions have been replaced and should not be used or
cited except for historical purposes.The WMA thanks all those who submitted
comments and suggestions for the most recent (2012-2013) revision of the DoH.

The new version is published on the website of the Journal of American Medical
Association (JAMA). (available in pdf)

In 2014, the WMA produced a celebratory publication to mark the 50th anniversary of
the adoption of the Declaration of Helsinki. "The World Medical Association Declaration
of Helsinki: 1964-2014 - 50 years of evolution of medical research ethics" can be
ordered online here.

Translations in languages other than the WMA official languages

(English/Spanish/French) are available below:

German translated by the German Medical Association

Japanese translated by the Japan Medical Association
Portuguese translated by the Associação Médica Brasileira
Czech translated by the Czech Medical Association
Hungarian translated by the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, Hungary

Some useful references:

Human D, Fluss SS. The World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki:

Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (References)
The International Response to Helsinki VI - The WMA's Declaration of
Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human
Subjects, as adopted by the 52nd WMA General Assembly, Edinburgh,
October 2000
De Roy PG. Helsinki and the Declaration of Helsinki. World Med J 2004; 50/1: 9-11
Benatar SR. Linking Moral Progress to Medical Progress: New opportunities for the
Declaration of Helsinki. World Med J 2004; 50/1: 11-13
Williams JR. The Promise and Limits of International Bioethics: Lessons from the
Recent Revision of the Declaration of Helsinki. Int J Bioethics 2004; 15: 31-42 1/2
 Recent Revision of the Declaration of Helsinki. Int J Bioethics 2004; 15: 31-42
Carlson RV, Boyd KM, Webb DJ. The revision of the Declaration of Helsinki: past,
present and future. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2004; 57: 695-713
Nuffield Council on Bioethics: The ethics of research related to healthcare in
developing countries - a follow-up Discussion Paper, London, Nuffield
Council, 2005
Williams JR. The Physician's Role in the Protection of Human Research Subjects.
Science and Engineering Ethics 2006; 12: 5-12
Carlson RV, van Ginneken NH, Pettigrew LM, Davies A, Boyd KM, Webb DJ. The three
official language versions of the Declaration of Helsinki: what's lost in translation? J
Med Ethics 2007; 33: 545-548
Schmidt U, Frewer A, eds. History and Theory of Human Experimentation:
The Declaration of Helsinki and Modern Medical Ethics, Stuttgart: Franz
Steiner, 2007
Williams JR. The Declaration of Helsinki and public health. Bulletin of the World
Health Organization 2008; 86: 650-651

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