The efforts to develop bioethics as an emerging science have drawn experts’ attention and contributions from all over the world. Specifically in Asia and the Pacific, the efforts were stimulated in the 1990s through the establishment of Asian Bioethics Association (ABA). This organization was formed to accommodate exchange of ideas between experts, aiming for bioethics integration into various field of sciences and professional expertise. Ever since its first establishment, ABA has regularly hold annual scientific conferences, titled the Asian Bioethics Conference (ABC). Indonesia has had the previous 13 opportunity to host the ABC9 in 2008 in Jogjakarta, organized by Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga and supported by Indonesian Bioethics Commission (KBN). In 2016, Indonesia had once again be chosen by acclamation to host ABC17, which had been organized by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in collaboration with KBN. The Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities (CBMH) representing UGM accepted the mandate and delivered this important event successfully.
Nationally, the efforts to develop bioethics in Indonesia also share similar enthusiastic spirits, with many experts and professionals have begun to understand the importance of bioethics and thus the relentless advocation. One of the prominent influence comes from the Indonesian Bioethics and Medical Humanities Network (JBHKI), a national organization estsblished in 2000 which has regularly hold biennial national scientific meeting. Faculty of Medicine UGM had been appointed as Secretary General of JBHKI and shouldered the obligation to host and organize the 8th national meeting. Both of these major bioethics events, the 8th national meeting of JBHKI and ABC17, were held in succession, in expectation to optimize participations and contributions from domestic and international bioethics scholars in both events to come up with real policy suggestions based on evidence in many countries.
