A/HRC/RES/51/3
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
13 October 2022
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fifty-first session
12 September–7 October 2022
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 6 October 2022
51/3.
Neurotechnology and human rights
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Convention on the Rights of
the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and other relevant
international and regional human rights instruments,
Recalling all relevant Human Rights Council resolutions, including resolutions 43/13
of 19 June 2020 on mental health and human rights, 47/16 of 13 July 2021 on the promotion,
protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet, 47/23 of 13 July 2021 on new and
emerging digital technologies and human rights, 48/4 of 7 October 2021 on the right to
privacy in the digital age, and 50/15 of 8 July 2022 on freedom of opinion and expression,
Recalling also that the obligation and the primary responsibility to promote and
protect human rights and fundamental freedoms lie with the State, and that the Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect,
Respect and Remedy” Framework sets out that States have a duty to protect, and that business
enterprises, including technology companies, have a responsibility to respect human rights,
Bearing in mind that neurotechnology allows the connecting of the human brain
directly to digital networks through devices and procedures that may be used, among other
things, to access, monitor and manipulate the neural system of the person,
Recognizing that neurotechnology could be promising for human health and
innovation, but that, at the same time, the continued development of some of its applications
may pose a number of ethical, legal and societal questions that need to be addressed,
including in human rights terms,
Mindful that the impact, opportunities and challenges of neurotechnology with regard
to the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights are not fully understood, and of
the need to analyse them further in a coherent, holistic, inclusive and comprehensive manner
in order to leverage the full potential of neurotechnology to support human progress and
development for all,
GE.22-16534(E)