Book excerpt: "The purpose of the National Statement is to promote ethically good human research. Fulfilment of this purpose requires that participants be accorded the respect and protection that is due to them. It also involves the fostering of research that is of benefit to the community. The National Statement is therefore designed to clarify the responsibilities of: institutions and researchers for the ethical design, conduct and dissemination of results of human research ; and review bodies in the ethics review of research. The National Statement will help them to meet their responsibilities: to identify issues of ethics that arise in the design, review and conduct of human research, to deliberate about those ethical issues, and to justify decisions about them"--Page 6.