The Vatican (LifeNews.com) -- The Catholic Church is planning an international conference to help policymakers understand the amazing development of the unborn child. Vatican officials say nations are making decisions about abortion and bioethics issues such as human cloning and stem cell research and they need to know how human life begins at conception.

The conference is slated for November 15-17 as part of a teaching program at the six pontifical universities.

The program explores the relationship between science and faith an is an attempt to help decision-makers better understand that human life is sacred and not a commodity to be destroyed or used for research.

Pontifical Regina Apostolorum university is hosting the conference and the dean of the philosophy department, Rev. Rafael Pascual, told AP, "The study of human life from the point of view of its individual origin acquires a particular interest in today's world."