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BMJ No 7120 Volume 315 Medicopolitical digest Saturday 29 November 1997 WMA support for refusal to take part in torture The World Medical Association (WMA), which met in Hamburg this month, has urged doctors to resist any pressure to act against their ethical principles. The WMA, which represents over 70 national medical associations and five million doctors, adopted the Declaration of Hamburg. This supports doctors who refuse to take part in or to condone the use of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The declaration commits the WMA to publicise information about and to support doctors who report evidence of torture and to make known cases of attempts to involve doctors. It will also encourage education and research about torture, about the rehabilitation of the survivors of torture, and the documentation of torture. Prepared by Linda Beecham Home | Current issue | Past issues | Classified ads | Career Focus | Feedback Collections | About this site | About the BMJ | BMA | Medline