From the Hawaii Declaration to the Declaration of Madrid

The Declaration of Hawaii, adopted by the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) in 1977, was a significant event. But the needs and new ethical dilemmas of the 1990s led WPA to develop new recommendations on the duties of psychiatrists resulting in the Declaration of Madrid, adopted by WPA in 1996. It outlines the framework of ethical conduct of psychiatrists, formulates seven general guidelines with an increased emphasis on research and resource allocation, and gives five specific guidelines on euthanasia, torture, the death penalty, selection of sex, and organ transplantation.