Declaration of Ottawa on the Right of the Child to Health Care
The General Assembly approved a new Declaration aimed at improving the rights of children throughout the world to health care. The new initiative, entitled the Declaration of Ottawa, builds on the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Among other rights, it states that:

• parents whose children are admitted to hospital should, wherever possible, be provided with appropriate accommodation in or near the hospital at minimal or no cost. In addition parents should be allowed time off work without prejudice to their continued employment;
  
  
• parents, guardians or children of sufficient maturity should be free to change their physician or to seek a second opinion;
  
  
• the wishes of children should be taken into account in decisions involving their care;
  
  
• a competent child patient, their parents or guardians should be entitled to withhold consent to any procedure or therapy;
  
  
• the child patient is entitled to be fully informed about their medical condition.
  

Dr James Appleyard, chairman of the WMA's medical ethics committee, said: "This Declaration provides an international bench mark for children's health care and a bench mark that many governments fail to reach. This bench mark will empower national medical associations throughout the world to persuade their governments to value their children and improve the health of the world's children.

"The rights of children to health care need to be at the centre of our health policies and investment in the health care of children is the most cost effective measure for any government to take."

WMA to Conduct International Survey on Human Cloning

The WMA has decided to conduct an international investigation into human cloning to prepare comprehensive new guidelines for physicians. It has called on all its member national medical associations to participate in the survey and to consult experts and the public in their respective countries. Meanwhile the meeting reaffirmed its 1997 Resolution calling on doctors engaged in research to abstain from participating in the cloning of human beings until the scientific, ethical and legal issues had been fully considered.

Dr Anders Milton, chairman of the WMA Council, said he hoped the investigation would be completed in time for the WMA's Council meeting in April 1999.

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