Relationships

Among Toi te Taiao: the Bioethics Council's network of working relationships are the following. The Council:

• Advises and reports to the Minister for the Environment.
• Advises Ministers with related portfolios, including Health, Science, Agriculture and Māori Affairs.
• Liaises with government departments, Crown agencies and bodies, especially Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), Health Research Council, National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability Support Services Ethics, Animal Ethics Committees.
• Creates links to the biotechnology sector, media, researchers, business, interested parties, Māori, Pacific peoples and other ethnic groups.
• Provides information to New Zealanders and other stakeholders including independent ethics committees, Māori, biotechnology users, researchers, regulators, businesses, interest groups and media.
• Seeks the views of a wide range of New Zealanders, to understand the issues important to them.
• Promotes and takes part in dialogue with New Zealanders and other stakeholders on important cultural, spiritual and ethical issues in relation to biotechnology.

The success of the Council's relationships with New Zealanders will be gauged by public acceptance that the Council has the moral authority to speak out on these issues. The Council will gain moral authority by:

• Acting with honesty and integrity.
• Being open and transparent.
• Having a willingness to listen.
• Acknowledging that people have useful and thoughtful things to say on these complex and difficult issues.

This diagram shows the Bioethics Council's many relationships with Government and external interested publics and stakeholders. View relationships diagram at full size (including text description).

Relationship To Government

Our links with the Minister for the Environment and other Ministers with related portfolios enable the Council to play an active role in helping Government to address the ethical, cultural and spiritual issues arising from biotechnology. By having a positive relationship with Government, the Council will provide a vehicle for the public of New Zealand to express their concerns, questions, points of view and opinions.

Relationships With Other Sectors

The Bioethics Council also has links to the biotechnology sector, media, researchers, business, interested parties, Māori, Pacific peoples and other ethnic groups. It co-ordinates with other advisory and decision-making bodies concerned with ethics and values and is establishing links with similar international bodies.