A number of scientists and others will lobby members of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) at a scientific conference on Wednesday, in favour of human cloning for embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research. They hope to break a 'diplomatic deadlock' over whether an international treaty banning human reproductive cloning should be passed, without passing a ban on cloning for ES cell research (therapeutic cloning).
Delegates at the UN were expected to vote last year on two competing resolutions. One, sponsored by Costa Rica and supported by the United States and 64 other nations, sought a ban on both human reproductive and therapeutic cloning. The other, supported by 23 nations including the UK, proposed a ban on human reproductive cloning only, whilst allowing therapeutic cloning to continue. A third competing proposal was put forward in November 2003, led by a coalition of Islamic nations. The UN narrowly voted in favour of this proposal, which was to delay any decision on a cloning treaty until 2005. But supporters of the total cloning ban decided to try and override the two-year delay, by opposing the proposal when it came up for a final vote in December. In response, the General Assembly compromised, and decided to delay any discussions on a human cloning treaty for just one year. It is now expected to look again at the competing proposals when it begins its next session, in September 2004.
Christopher Reeve, a prominent campaigner for ES cell research, will provide a recorded introduction to the meeting. One of the speakers will be Professor Ian Wilmut, from the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, the scientist credited with the creation of Dolly the sheep. Other speakers will include Dr Woo Suk Hwang, the Korean scientist who this year became the first to obtain stem cells from cloned human embryos, and Bernie Siegel, the Florida lawyer who sued the company Clonaid after it claimed that it had produced the world's first cloned human babies in December 2002. Siegel, who is organising the UN meeting, also leads the Genetics Policy Institute; an association of stem cell researchers and doctors that is seeking an international ban on human reproductive cloning and recognition of it as 'a crime against humanity', whilst campaigning for research into therapeutic cloning.
Siegel says that he hopes this week's conference, coupled with 'good results' from ES cell research in the last year, will persuade the UN to vote in favour of the resolution banning reproductive cloning, but that allows therapeutic cloning to continue. Professor Alan Trounson, from the stem cell research centre at Monash University, Australia, will also speak on Wednesday. He says the stem cell debate has been 'hijacked' by unfounded claims of cloned babies. He, like the others involved, believes delegates at the UN need to 'have at least been informed about the issues and the background' before they debate further or vote on the issue.
Sources and References
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Clone Newcomer Bends U.N.'s Ear
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Scientists to Lobby UN for Destructive Embryonic Stem Cell Research
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Clone Vote
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Scientists lobby the UN to ban cloning
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