Charter of Ethics University of Liège
2 The University of Liège is a comprehensive and pluralistic* public university with over two hundred years of history. Its missions are to impart knowledge and to produce high-quality research, in the service and for the benefit of society. Recognizing the importance of this responsibility, the University of Liège has made the decision to adopt a Charter of Ethics, whose purpose is to define the Institution’s key ethical, to emphasize the relevant legislation and regulations, as well as to clarify the resulting duties and obligations incumbent upon all members of the university community. Why adopt a Charter of Ethics? By virtue of the principle of academic freedom*, the University enjoys complete freedom in teaching, research, and service, as it endeavors to produce new knowledge and to disseminate it to the widest audience possible. Such knowledge, which the University is the guardian of, is a common good, to which each member of the University contributes regardless of their position. The University, within the limits of the rules in force, also guarantees, for its students, freedom of education and freedom in their choice of studies. To ensure that this freedom is exercised with integrity, the University of Liège places ethics* at the very heart of its practices, as an indispensable condition for the conduct of its missions. Compliance with ethical standards represents not only an assurance of quality, for society and for all members of the Institution, but also a source of trust. With this Charter of Ethics, the University intends to highlight the fundamental values that must serve as common guidelines as regards the conduct of its missions and activities. This Charter expresses the Institution’s commitment to all members of the university community as well as the commitment expected of each and every individual in their relationships with other members of the community. To whom does the Charter apply? The Charter applies to all missions and activities within or under the responsibility of the University. It therefore applies to every person, regardless of their status, performing a function or a task within the framework of the University’s missions and activities, as well as to every student. While the Charter includes provisions specific to certain activities, such provisions remain in line with the principles shared by the entire university community. PREAMBLE ONLINE VERSION INCLUDING THE REFERENCE TEXTS OF THE CHARTER www.uliege.be/en/ethics TERMS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK* ARE DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY (P.12)
3 What is the Charter’s object? This Charter aligns with the legislative texts governing the University’s missions and activities, with international declarations in the fields of research and teaching, and with existing internal regulations and charters, including those applicable to service. It does not replace the legislation, regulations, professional codes of conduct, or other charters currently in force. It lays out their principles, reinforces their consistency, and complements them. By its general scope, it provides a common frame of reference, aiming at promoting best practices* with respect to ethics, preventing any potential breaches, and fostering an environment conducive to the wellbeing and respect of each person. How was the Charter conceived? Based on a consultative process conducted among the university community – including administrative, technical, operational, teaching, and research staff, the student body, and the relevant governance bodies – this Charter was developed iteratively, based on the proposals of a dedicated working group. The University invites all members to familiarize themselves with this text and to use it as reference. Implementation and compliance with the Charter In the event of a breach to the principles enshrined in this Charter, the University of Liège reserves the right to consult the competent bodies, to implement the appropriate procedures, and, if necessary, to take the appropriate measures. The University invites anyone witnessing a violation of this Charter to report it to the competent bodies listed in Appendix I. University authorities shall ensure that this Charter is updated regularly and its use is monitored. The Charter of Ethics Observatory is entrusted with the task of monitoring and documenting the uses to which the Charter is put within the university community. HOW IS THE CHARTER STRUCTURED? IT ALSO INCLUDES TWO APPENDICES ADVISORY BODIES RELATED TO ETHICS AND COMPETENT AUTHORITIES TO NOTIFY IN THE EVENT OF A BREACH OF THIS CHARTER P. 10 1 GLOSSARY P. 12 2 THE BODY OF THE CHARTER IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSIONS AND ACTIVITIES P. 4 I P. 6 THE COMMITMENTS ARISING FROM EACH PRINCIPLE INTEGRITY RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY P. 6 P. 8 P. 9 II
4 Within the University of Liège, which is a public institution and a living and working environment, three general ethical* principles guide the actions of all members of the university community. I GENERAL PRINCIPLES INTEGRITY refers to acting in accordance with a set of principles and values, and demonstrating honesty in their application. At the University, this entails compliance with the rules in force but also adherence to “best practices*” or standards of professional conduct, throughout all activities pursued. In research, scientific integrity is of particular importance and aims to ensure the rigor and reliability of results. This principle also guarantees the quality of education. In the spheres of management, administration, and service, the principle of integrity aims to protect the public interest entrusted to public institutions. Acting with integrity fosters both trust among the university community and society’s trust towards science. ①
5 RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL refers to the recognition of the intrinsic value of each individual in their unique character. This implies the fair and dignified treatment of every individual, all the while respecting the diversity of the community. This principle enables the creation of an inclusive environment that promotes cooperation, the well-being of all, as well as individual and collective growth, thus contributing to the realization of the University’s three missions. ② RESPONSIBILITY refers to the requirement for any person, body or institution entrusted with responsibilities involving important decisionmaking to be held accountable for their actions, for their results, as well as for the consequences such actions or results may entail. Benefiting from financial and material contributions from society, and enjoying public trust, the University, as a public institution, is required to manage its resources in an exemplary* manner, in accordance with the public interest. It endeavors to continuously improve the quality of its activities with a view towards sustainability*. The University is attentive to the social implications of its research and education activities, and therefore oversees research and trains its students and staff in responsible approaches. The exercise of this responsibility is incumbent upon the University’s authorities as well as upon each member of its community, proportionately to the authority conferred by one’s status. ③
6 The general principles outlined above are intended to guide the actions of each person, both as an individual and as a member of a community. They imply a number of commitments, duties, and mutual obligations. Critical thinking refers to an intellectual endeavor by which one seeks to corroborate information, diversify its sources, and verify its relevance, while striving to identify biases and limitations that could invalidate a piece of knowledge, challenging assumptions, and even questioning the framework within which thinking is conducted, in order to support the production of reliable knowledge in all disciplines. Critical thinking is an essential competence in which the University trains its members, especially its students, in view of their constructive and respectful participation in scientific debates and public decisionmaking. Good administrative management refers to upholding the public interest, of which the University, as a public institution, is a custodian. Each agent, regardless of their status, must fulfill their function in accordance with the regulations, missions, and objectives of the University. Adherence to “best practices*” is a condition that is indispensable to the conduct of all professions and activities carried out at the University and particularly for ensuring the integrity and reliability of the research conducted. All individuals involved in a research activity are required to comply with the standards governing its discipline. This implies following a rigorous method at each stage of the scientific process, with a view to producing valid and transparent results, and, COMMITMENTS I 1 2 3 INTEGRITY
7 when the methodologies employed so require, results that are replicable* and reproducible*. In accordance with the principles of Open Science and with the University’s mission of public interest, and when compatible with intellectual property, privacy, and confidentiality rules, data are openly shared so as to favor their reuse and enable their verification by the scientific community. Any fraudulent research practice, such as the falsification, fabrication, plagiarism*, concealment, suppression or deliberate omission of results, and such as the acquisition of data by illegal means, is prohibited and may entail sanctions. Compliance with the legislation and regulations applicable to all University activities is mandatory. Particular attention should be paid to the rules concerning research on human beings, involving animals, and research leading to results with potential “dual-use*” applications, research involving the processing of personal data, and research involving artificial intelligence. All research must meet the conditions and requirements defined by the legislation and by the University, and must obtain the necessary authorizations in a timely manner. Authorship* rests upon the recognition of each person’s contributions to the production of research results, in accordance with the rules established by the scientific community. Only individuals who meet the criteria justifying authorship can legitimately be cited as authors. The University invites research teams to collectively discuss these criteria as soon as a project is launched, in order to ensure a fair and transparent acknowledgement of contributions. Impartiality is a principle that the University wishes to see implemented in all its missions and activities. It commits its members to guard against conflicts of interest*, that is, against any interference between personal interests and the impartial exercise of one’s functions. This principle aims to prevent any suspicion of partiality that could undermine the sound conduct of the University’s missions or its reputation, scientific quality, the validity of a decision or evaluation, or the independence of the research and education activities it pursues. Any person having ties that could lead to a conflict of interest is required to declare them in accordance with the procedure in force at the University. The supervision of students, interns, and research activities aims to favor the transmission of reliable knowledge and the development of competencies within an environment that fosters curiosity, the sharing of knowledge, and the independence of learners. Any person entrusted with supervision tasks has the responsibility of providing regular, high-quality support based on the principle of exemplarity*. Supervisors shall encourage initiative and originality while ensuring that all individuals retain full authorship* of their work. In the context of research supervision and student assessment, any close personal or family relationship constitutes a conflict of interest that the supervisor is required to declare so that it may be appropriately addressed. Quality aligns with the University’s requirements and expectations as apply across all of its activities. Any person belonging to the university community must engage in a process of reflexivity and continuous improvement, and has the obligation to keep informed as well as to remain up to date in their training in order to carry out to the best of their ability the missions with which they are entrusted. 4 6 5 8 9 7
8 Upholding principles of equality is a priority for the University, whose purpose is to ensure the fair treatment of all persons making up its community. This means, for students, equal opportunities in access to knowledge and the guarantee of impartial and transparent assessment of their work. This also applies to how individuals employed by the University are treated, including during their recruitment, evaluation, and career development stages. The University sees to the establishment of the conditions enabling equal access to professional opportunities, as well as to the implementation of measures to secure career paths, insofar as possible. Pluralism*, one of the University of Liège’s founding principles, characterizes spaces where different schools of thought coexist. In principle, freedom of speech allows any individual to express their opinions, but it is not absolute. It does not authorize defamatory or false statements, nor does it authorize speech inciting hate or discrimination*. Pluralism can only be exercised in a climate characterized by openness to divergent viewpoints, respect for differences, civility*, and politeness. Respect for diversity and inclusion are essential principles as regards the conduct of daily life at the University, which is mindful of the inequalities present in society. Diversity promotes a wide range of viewpoints and perspectives, and these reinforce the capacity for innovation and creativity across all activities. Inclusion rests upon structural measures to counter unequal treatment, responding to the needs of the university community as a whole. Any act of discrimination*, any statement inciting hate or violence, directly or indirectly, or any act of stigmatization, is prohibited: be it towards a person or a group on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, social background, civil status, age, disability, health condition, religious or political beliefs, or trade union convictions, or any other “protected characteristic as defined by legislation”. Any physically or psychologically violent behavior, any behavior of moral, sexist or sexual harassment, any form of abuse of power, or any other behavior that is inappropriate or harmful to a person or group is prohibited. The University applies appropriate procedures for the collection and processing of reports. The University, as a living, working, and teaching environment, commits to the promotion of the well-being of each member of its community, whether student or staff. It works to ensure the establishment of favorable and respectful working and learning conditions. This includes promoting healthy interpersonal and hierarchical relationships, ensuring safety, as well as seeing to the prevention of psychosocial and mental health risks*. Mindful of the balance between private and professional life, the University supports the right to disconnect. Cooperation is a lever in the pursuit of excellence. In order to create stimulating work dynamics, the University encourages the mutual sharing of both research knowledge and information useful for carrying out any mission. In doing so, the University facilitates the establishment of an environment of cooperation and well-being to which each person is required to contribute. RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENTS I 1 3 6 7 4 5 2
9 The University endeavors to rigorously manage the material and financial resources at its disposal, in accordance with strict standards of probity and transparency, and with the principles of sustainability*. It commits to limiting the ecological footprint of all its activities and to ensuring its optimal utilization of resources. It encourages each member of the university to manage the University’s resources efficiently and in accordance with their intended purpose, as well as to act in favor of environmentally and socially sustainable practices. Committed to exerting a positive influence on the world, the University promotes conscious and responsible research. Knowledge produced and transmitted within the University must be the subject of permanent reflection, in a spirit of scientific progress that benefits society and future generations. It is up to each individual to identify the ethical, legal, and social implications of their research, and to prevent any associated risk. Be it due to an inherent risk of being diverted from its initial objective, or to the scientific uncertainty surrounding certain innovations, any research that could lead to harmful or detrimental uses for humankind, animal or plant species, or, more generally, the environment must be subject to the utmost vigilance. It is advisable to contact the competent authorities and ethics committees. Attentive to the opportunities offered by digital technologies, the University is also conscious of the ethical issues raised by innovation and use in this area. The University promotes the mindful and sustainable* use of such technology, and supports initiatives aiming to develop trustworthy Artificial Intelligence techniques that are in alignment with the principles of integrity, respect for the individual, and responsibility set forth in this Charter. Sharing knowledge with society entails the duty to disclose the research results produced, as well as the methods and standards employed. The University aims to make knowledge accessible to the greatest number and, mindful of the influence of scientific authority within public debates, invites its researchers and teaching staff to impart socially relevant knowledge based on rigorously established information. It encourages them to engage in dialogue with the various audiences who are interested, involved, or even likely to actively contribute to research. The University promotes the principles of partnership and collegiality*, by fostering the participation of community members in the Institution’s governance processes. The involvement of representative and participatory bodies in decision-making and concertation processes helps build shared responsibility, mutual trust, and is conducive to better decisions. All individuals are invited, as part of service, to actively participate in all institutional and decision-making bodies of the University. The University commits to disclosing information pertaining to its missions and governance. Such disclosure is carried out in a realistic manner, in accordance with applicable rules, and contributes to the improvement process undertaken by the University. The University commits to establishing and maintaining the conditions necessary for compliance with this Charter. 1 3 5 6 7 4 2 RESPONSIBILITY
10 AT L’ULIÈGE Breaches of scientific integrity (request for advice, complaint filing) → Ethics and Scientific Integrity Board (CEIS) Requests for advice and authorizations for research projects → Committee on Ethics in Social and Human Sciences (CESHS) → Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Psychology, Logopedics and Educational Sciences (CE – FPLSE) → Ethics Committee for Science and Technology (CEST) → Hospital Faculty Ethics Committee of the University of Liège (CEHFUL) → Animal Ethics Committee (CEA) → Walloon Committee for the Protection of Laboratory Animals APPENDIX 1 ADVISORY BODIES RELATED TO ETHICS AND COMPETENT AUTHORITIES TO NOTIFY IN THE EVENT OF A BREACH OF THIS CHARTER
11 Requests for advice concerning partnerships or high-risk projects → Commission for Guidance and Oversight on High-Risk International Relations → Dual Use Support Unit Reporting and assistance in the event of a breach of respect for the individual → The Observatory of the Charter (see bellow) → Psychosocial Risks Unit → Confidential Advisors → Psychologists from the Student Affairs Service → Student Social Services Bodies competent in matters relating to principles set forth in this Charter → Gender and Equality Advisory Board www.uliege.be/cge → ULiège Players and Partners in Sustainability and Transition www.durable.uliege.be/acteurs → Commitments in Favor of Digital Responsibility www.durable.uliege.be/engagement AT THE WALLONIA-BRUSSELS FEDERATION (FWB) LEVEL → The High Council for Scientific Integrity AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL → Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics → CT-College (Clinical Trial College) → The Institute for the Equality of Women and Men (for issues relating to sex or gender) → UNIA – The Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism and Discrimination (for issues other than those relating to sex or gender) THE OBSERVATORY OF THE CHARTER It is responsible for monitoring the use of this Charter by the university community, and is the body that makes recommendations in view of its evolution, whenever it considers an update to be necessary. It is composed as follows: • one member of the Rector’s leadership team whose duties include ethics • the Ethics Officer; • the Sustainability Officer; • a member designated by the Ethics and Scientific Integrity Board; • a member designated by the Gender and Equality Advisory Board; • a member of the academic or scientific community with an expertise in the field of fundamental rights; • a member of the academic or scientific community with an expertise in the field of ethics.
12 ACADEMIC FREEDOM Academic freedom guarantees for each actor involved in scientific research or teaching activities carried out at the University (or affiliated institutions), as well as for students, freedom of speech, freedom to act and to communicate information, as well as freedom to seek and disseminate facts and knowledge without restriction. The intended purpose and intrinsic responsibility this freedom is destined to serve, as incumbent upon the University, relates to the development of new knowledge and to its dissemination to the widest audience possible. It involves, for university teaching and scientific research establishments (or affiliated ones), a certain institutional autonomy with respect to political, religious, or economic powers. All members of university staff, as well as students, must act as the custodians of the academic freedom they enjoy. Academic freedom constitutes an aspect of freedom of speech as guaranteed both by Article 19 of the Constitution and by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, Mustafa Erdoğan and Others v. Turkey, May 27, 2014; Arbitration Court, November 23, 2005, #167/2005). Academic freedom of speech is also directly enshrined in Article 15, § 3, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (states “undertake to respect the freedom indispensable for scientific research and creative activity”). This freedom is not absolute, but is subject to the necessary and proportionate restrictions imposed by all other rights and obligations arising especially from international law. AUTHORSHIP Authorship refers to a set of rights conferred on a natural or legal person in relation to any original intellectual creation of which they are the source, whether literary, artistic or scientific. This applies to publications, course materials, software, audiovisual works, or databases, for instance. BEST PRACTICES These refer to the set of behaviors, norms, and rules relating to the practice of a profession that are agreed upon by consensus and are considered indispensable to professionals of the field for reasons of quality, hygiene, safety, legislative compliance or ethics. These best practices are determined by communities of experts and are disseminated in the form of guides, charters or reference documents. For example, GLPs (Good Laboratory Practices) and GCPs (Good Clinical Practices) are subject to updates by international bodies. CIVILITY Civility is the adherence to the conventions and good manners observed within a social group. Quasi-synonymous with “politeness,” the notion of civility furthermore includes the emotional dimensions of affability, friendliness, and sociability. APPENDIX 2 GLOSSARY
13 COLLEGIALITY Collegiality represents a fundamental principle of operation in academic environments, based on cooperation between peers in decision-making, evaluation, and university governance. Collegiality implies mutual respect, attentiveness to divergent opinions, the recognition of each person’s competence, and shared decisionmaking in a democratic and responsible spirit. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST A relationship of interest refers to any direct or indirect relationship, be it personal, professional, financial, scientific or ideological, that an individual has with an organization, company, person or cause. Such relationship is not inherently problematic or illegitimate in and of itself, but must be declared if relevant within a given context (research, teaching, evaluation, recruitment, etc.). There is a conflict of interest when a relationship of interest compromises or could reasonably be deemed to compromise the objectivity, impartiality or integrity of a decision, judgment or professional act. It can be actual, potential or apparent. It must be reported and managed in a transparent manner. DISCRIMINATION Discrimination consists in unjustifiably treating persons or groups of persons differently on the basis of criteria that Belgian law designates as “protected,” also called “protected characteristics.” A person who is discriminated against is treated less favorably than others in a comparable situation, without valid reason. Discrimination can be direct or indirect. In Belgium, discrimination is prohibited in the spheres of social life to which the legislation applies, such as employment, supply of goods and services, healthcare, education, and housing. The Anti-Racism Law of July 30, 1981, concerns protected characteristics designated as “racial” (such as nationality, race, skin color, ancestry, and national or ethnic origin). The AntiDiscrimination Law of May 10, 2007, concerns protected characteristics other than “racial” (such as age, sexual orientation, civil status, birth, wealth, philosophical, religious or political beliefs, trade union convictions, health condition, disability, physical or genetic characteristics, social background, and language). The Gender Law of May 10, 2007, for its part, concerns protected characteristics specifically relating to gender (such as sex, pregnancy, medically-assisted procreation, childbirth, breastfeeding, maternity, family responsibilities, gender identity, gender expression, sexual characteristics, and medical or social transition). It should be noted that the protected criteria defined by law are characteristics that may or may not result from personal choice. Discrimination, punishable by law, is one of the forms of social stigma, which includes the set of negative attitudes, beliefs, judgments or behaviors toward a person or social group, due to certain real or assumed characteristics, which lead to their rejection and social exclusion. (Source: Unia) DUAL-USE GOODS AND TECHNOLOGIES It is possible that the goods and technologies developed in the context of research conducted at the University may qualify as “dual-use” goods and technologies, that is, as ones intended for civil applications but that could be diverted for hostile purposes (military applications, weapons of mass destruction, human rights violations...), and therefore present a potential risk for the University. These goods and technologies are subject to Dual-Use regulations. ETHICS “Ethics” is the term most frequently used today to refer to both (i) a set of moral principles that guide judgment (good/bad, right/ wrong, acceptable/unacceptable), decision, and action, or (ii) the approach consisting in identifying, formulating or interpreting moral principles in a given field of action or decision-making. In both senses, one may therefore speak, for instance, of medical ethics, animal ethics, research ethics, environmental ethics or of business ethics. Etymologically speaking, the term “ethics” only differs from the term “morality” by its linguistic origin, both terms referring to the idea of ways of living, or mores (ethos in Greek, mores in Latin). This text employs morality in the sense covered by the
14 French equivalent “moralité”. The contemporary French lexicon, influenced by the social and historical sciences, tends to reserve the term “moralité” for designating the system formed by the moral principles, rights, obligations, and duties incumbent upon individuals within a given society or community. An adjacent notion is that of “deontology,” which designates the duties, obligations, and rights within a given professional field. As for the term “ethics,” it more strongly suggests the idea of intellectual, reflexive, and deliberative activity arising from problems and dilemmas that “ready-made” morality or professional deontology are unable to solve. While ethics, in this sense, may concern personal or private life, it also has a place in public and professional life; in such cases, ethical reflection and deliberation are most often collective, entrusted to committees possessing both the expertise and legitimacy to establish common principles of action, rules, and shared best practices. The conventional distinction between ethics and morality should not obscure the fact that, as suggested by our initial definition, ethical thinking and deliberation, although involving critical thinking and pluralism, remain linked in one way or another to the moral backdrop of our social contract, in particular that of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (UN, 1966), the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950 and its additional protocols, and Title II of the Belgian Constitution. PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is the act of misappropriating the ideas, formulations, data, results, figures or intellectual productions of others and presenting them as one’s own. Self-plagiarism is the act of reusing one’s own previous works (text, data, results, publications, etc.) without identifying them as such, and presenting them as unpublished. PLURALISM Pluralism refers to an ethical and institutional principle that recognizes and respects the diversity of opinions, scientific approaches, and convictions of a philosophical, political or religious nature within the university community. Pluralism ensures an environment that is inclusive, critical, and open to debate, in line with the University’s missions of education, research, and service within a democratic framework. PRINCIPLE OF EXEMPLARITY The principle of exemplarity designates the idea according to which members of the university community (in particular, but not exclusively, teachers, researchers, supervisors, and authorities) must embody the values, behaviors, and ethical standards upheld by the University. PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS Under Belgian law, psychosocial risks at work are defined as the probability that one or several workers will suffer psychological harm, which may also be accompanied by physical harm, as a result of exposure to elements of work organization, content, working conditions or interpersonal relationships at work, upon which the employer has an impact and that may objectively involve harm. Psychological harm may, for instance, take the form of anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Physical harm may for instance take the form of sleeping problems, high blood pressure, palpitations, bowel issues. These risks can also have negative consequences for the whole organization, such as a toxic work environment, conflicts, additional costs entailed by workplace accidents, absenteeism, or a decline in the quality of work or in productivity. The most well-known manifestations of psychosocial risks at work are stress, burn-out, workrelated conflicts, as well as violence, and moral or sexual harassment in the workplace. (Source: FPS – Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue) REPRODUCIBILITY AND REPLICABILITY Reproducibility is the ability of a third party to obtain the same study results by reanalyzing the data with the same code or algorithms as supplied by the authors of a study. Reproducibility ensures transparency in research. Replicability characterizes research that can be replicated by another research team using the same GLOSSARY APPENDIX 2
15 methods (same protocol, same experimental conditions, etc.), but with independent data, while entailing similar results. Replicability is one of the means for ensuring the robustness of research. SUSTAINABILITY The notion of “sustainability,” preferred over that of “sustainable development” due to the latter’s controversial and paradoxical nature, refers to the ability to maintain viable human living conditions over time. It is based on the link between the preservation of the environment, social justice, and economic robustness. It aims to build a future that is compatible with the Earth’s biophysical limits – entailing, for instance, the responsible management of natural resources and the protection of ecosystems (Rockström et al., 2009) – as well as with the satisfaction of fundamental human needs, such as access to healthcare, quality education, freedom of speech, and gender equality (Raworth, 2017). It intends for human societies to be organized according to principles of sustainability and equity for present and future generations (Renouard et al., 2020). This vision is in line with that carried by the United Nations, especially through its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, which call for a systemic transformation of production, consumption, and governance models, in order to promote inclusive and resilient societies that respect planetary boundaries. Thus, sustainability is not limited to the quest for a static equilibrium between the environmental, social, and economic spheres but involves a deep transformation of lifestyles and institutions, aimed at environmental and social justice on a global scale.
ONLINE VERSION FR/EN, INCLUDING THE REFERENCE TEXTS OF THE CHARTER www.uliege.be/en/ethics CONTACT charte-ethique@uliege.be
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