WMA Statement on Freedom to Attend Medical Meetings
Adopted by the 36th World Medical Assembly, Singapore, October 1984
and reaffirmed with minor revision by the 215th WMA Council Session (online), Cordoba, Spain, October 2020
Professional independence and professional freedom are indispensable to physicians to enable them to give appropriate health care to their patients. Therefore, there should be no barriers based on disease or disability, creed, ethic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to prevent physicians from participating in professional activities that will enable them to acquire the information, knowledge, skills and techniques required to provide appropriate health care to their patients.
In as much as the purpose of the WMA is to serve humanity by endeavoring to achieve the highest international standards in medical education, medical science, medical art and medical ethics, and health care for all people of the world, there should accordingly be no barriers which will prevent physicians from attending meetings of the WMA, or other medical meetings, wherever such meetings are convened.