Animal Ethics Commission

Joint Decree of the Minister of State for Research and Technology No. 108/M/Kp/IX/2004, Minister of Health No. 1045/Menkes/SKB/IX/2004 and Minister of Agriculture No. 540.1/Kpst/OT.160/9/2004 concerning the Establishment of the National Bioethics Commission (KBN) and the National Commission on Health Research Ethics are institutions for handling bioethical and ethical issues at the national level. This has long been felt as an urgent need to be realized in Indonesia. The National Bioethics Commission and the National Commission on Health Research Ethics were formed to carry out specific tasks by taking into account and considering multi-disciplinary viewpoints, in the spectrum of basic sciences and applied sciences which refer to the fields of health and medicine, science and technology in the agricultural sector. in a broad sense.

Research in the fields of basic science and biomedicine often raises various ethical problems. Research in the fields of basic science and biomedicine often raises various ethical problems. Likewise, the use of animals in education or teaching, such as practicums and demonstrations used in basic science, agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and biomedicine, must comply with animal welfare principles. Research carried out on animal objects, even though it is designed carefully and thoroughly, will still have risks to the animals as the objects studied. This kind of risk must still be calculated not based on the interests of researchers or research institutions alone, but based on the maximum benefit for the animals being researched and their contribution to science.

The exploitation of experimental animals in conducting research has caused various reactions in society, especially among researchers and animal lovers. This can have ethical, legal and socio-cultural implications. Many arguments have been given, basically humans are not justified in using animals in experiments that can cause pain and discomfort for the animal. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid using animals as objects in research, if possible replace the objects with organ, tissue or cell cultures or at least reduce the number of animals used. So in this case bioethics is interpreted as an understanding that includes ethical, legal, social and cultural dimensions, life sciences and also related technology.

To date, research using experimental animals has also made a huge contribution to the understanding of biological concepts, as well as to the interests of human benefit itself, for example for treatment of disease prevention, disease treatment, but there are still several questions that deserve attention in handling. The object used is the use of experimental animals. For example were there any harmful actions; is in treating Has the object been briefed and understood how to handle it properly and correctly? Researchers usually agree to the principle of carrying out research using animals if there is a guarantee that the animals will suffer as little as possible and enthusiasm for development towards the use of animals from lower phylogenetics or the replacement of animals using non-animal systems can be demonstrated. Russell and Burch (1959) first put forward the idea of ​​using animals in research which was expected to follow the 3R rules (The “three Rs” principle), which essentially means that: 1) the use of experimental animals should receive attention in efforts to find replacements (replacement), 2) reducing the number of uses to the limit of the amount that can still be analyzed statistically (reduction), and 3) improving the handling of animals used to reduce impacts that can cause pain and cause pain stress (refinement). Considering the above, bioethics is often a topic that is difficult to measure and understand in order to serve as a guide or guide in a series of research and development activities in modern biological sciences at the national level when involving living creatures as objects.

As one of the leading universities in Indonesia, Jakarta State University (UNJ) has complete educational scientific coverage and adequate physical and human resources as well as research activities in various fields of science including biology, which are of high quality and to be proud of. Biological research mostly uses animals as experimental animals for physiological, biochemical tests or as models for phenomena in humans. Experimental animals have an irreplaceable role considering that the use of alternative methods cannot represent the complex interactions in individual tissues (in vivo).

The use of animals in biological and biomedical research must comply with international standard scientific principles, including fulfilling the principles of animal welfare. The use of animals whose welfare is guaranteed in research, teaching, maintenance and breeding activities is the main key in producing accurate and standardized scientific work, in relation to extrapolating research results to humans. Quality assurance for the use of experimental animals that fulfill the principles of animal welfare is carried out by an independent institution that is competent, has integrity and has legal aspects. This guarantee institution is known as the Animal Ethics Committee.

The Animal Ethics Commission for the Biology Study Program (AEC-BSP) FMIPA UNJ, which was formed based on the Decree of the Dean of FMIPA, Jakarta State University, has the following roles and functions:

1. Provide input to the leadership of Faculties and Research Centers regarding all matters relating to the ethics of research and education that uses animals.
2. Disseminate and supervise a code of practice for research and education ethics that includes animals as objects.
3. Develop work policies and procedures that ensure the ethical application of research and education on animals.
4. Ensure that animals involved in research and education are treated humanely.
5. Ensure that the quality of ethical management of research and education that uses animals as objects (in relation to their purchase, transportation, maintenance and use) is maintained on an ongoing basis.
6. Ensure that sacrifices for the safety, health and comfort of animals as objects are commensurate with the benefits obtained from research and educational purposes for humans and animals.

Carrying out ethical discussions on research proposals in a fair, independent, competent and timely manner and compiling and keeping a list of approved proposals.

All types of research and education that use animals within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Jakarta State University. AEC-BSP can also serve requests for the ethical feasibility of researchers from outside UNJ who use animals at UNJ or outside UNJ.