Principal investigators must ensure that animal research projects conducted outside Switzerland are carried out in respect for relevant ethical principles, notably concerning application of 3R principles, reduction of strain for animals, and the protection of wildlife. To that end, in cases covered by the present directive, principal investigators must declare to the CARE Commission, as early as possible, any project with experiments involving animals conducted outside Switzerland by:

• UNIGE employees;
• Third parties in the framework of an academic collaboration that involves non-human primates or threatened wildlife species;
• Contract research organizations, non-profit non-academic organizations, and/or academic institutions, on behalf of a UNIGE principal investigators.

UNIGE principal investigators must ensure that the project has been authorized or will be the subject of an authorization request submitted to the competent animal research authority for the country in question, if such exists.

Concerning research projects involving animals conducted outside Switzerland, the Commission:

1. ensures that animal research projects conducted outside Switzerland  that are submitted to it respect the ethical principles based on the swissuniversities policy for animal research and on the ethical principales and directives on animal research of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) and the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT);
2. makes decisions regarding animal research projects conducted outside Switzerland that are submitted to it and establishes a constructive dialog with the researchers involved when it determines that to be necessary;
3. updates and publishes the declaration form.

Principal investigators submit a declaration to the CARE Commission using the online form. The members of the Commission independently evaluate the declaration. They may request clarifications and/or call a meeting of the Commission. At such a meeting, the principal investigator may be invited to explain problematic details. Situations judged by the Commission to be problematic are reported to the Rectorate.

A Commission member who is directly involved in a research project is excluded from any deliberations concerning that project.