The Declaration of Helsinki establishes the ethical principles required for medical research with human participants. It was adopted in 1964 in Finland and is a global reference document.
This declaration has been updated at the 75th General Assembly of the World Medical Association in October 2024, after a public consultation process on the new draft version.
Among the main changes introduced by this update are: protection focused on participants, especially for vulnerable populations; as well as the search for greater equity and transparency in research.
In practice, the update of the Declaration recognizes greater importance to free and informed consent and establishes in detail key guidelines for its proper use and management, seeking to align the fundamental principles of ethics with the current challenges of clinical research.