What did UNESCO adopt on neurotechnology in 2025, and does it bind anyone? · Grey Matter

In November 2025 the General Conference of UNESCO, at its 43rd session, adopted the Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology, the first global standard in the field.

What did UNESCO adopt on neurotechnology in 2025, and does it bind anyone?

In November 2025 the General Conference of UNESCO, at its 43rd session, adopted the Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology, the first global standard in the field. It sets out values, principles and policy actions for governments, with concerns grouped around mental privacy and brain data, freedom of thought, personal identity and the integrity of brain and mind, the same ground the neurorights proposals cover. A recommendation does not bind by itself: member states commit to consider it and report on it, and it gains force through the national laws that follow it.