(politics) U.N. Backs U.S. Plea for Total Ban on Human Cloning

The General Assembly itself has agreed that Human Clonning should be banned. This is notsomething that US President Bush has done in his own country, tho there are efforts to restrict the practice. THis is something that is potentially controversial since its related to reproductive rights issues and stem cell research.



I was surprised to hear this. I can't say that it might make much of a difference. THink of the NPT and Chem/Bio Weapons treaties. Various nations still research and arm themselves, even if they are signatories, and if they aren't then they can just rely on reserach done by non signatories. So I'm curious as to how much of an effective difference this can make.

The article notes that its a 'symbolic' victory, but I don't see why that is warranted, it seems to be an out and out victory for him. Could'nt've been much better if the General Assembly had actually outlawed it internationally really.

I do wonder how this will play out vis a vis the current claims at success in cloning. Is the US in 'violation' (if thats the appropriate word for this) of the finding if it does not demonstrate that the Raelians in the US have not infact cloned a person? And I recally that there is an italian reproductive biology researcher who claims to be close, if not actually successful, at cloning humans; tho I beleive thats outside of italy. This 'finding' would certainly bolster any attempts in various countries to limit the technology.

Related News Links:
us.rd.yahoo.com
us.rd.yahoo.com
us.rd.yahoo.com
us.rd.yahoo.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
SCI/TECH: Britain Gives "Dolly" Scientist Human Cloning License
NEWS: Bush Blocks UN Ban on Cloning Human Beings
Human cloning has been done...
Pope John Paul II condemns human cloning

[edit on 8-3-2005 by Nygdan]

[edit on 8-3-2005 by Nygdan]

I received an usual notification for this submission that I made, it read that there was 'excessive bias' in it. I can't possibly see how it was biased or in what way and don't care to change it.

I wasn't aware of any governments supporting Human Clonning(sp?) anyway. A false claim of victory?

Quote from the article:
"Capping four years of contentious debate, the 191-nation assembly voted 84 to 34, with 37 abstentions, to approve a nonbinding statement on cloning."

I would love to know who the 34 countries were that were for human cloning as well as the 37 abstentions? it would give a good reflection of which countries are moving in what direction on this issue.

[edit on 8-3-2005 by Angelic1]

Here's your vote breakdown Angelic.

www.un.org...

Vote on Declaration on Human Cloning

The United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning (document A/59/516/Add.1) was adopted by a recorded vote of 84 in favour to 34 against, with 37 abstentions, as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chile, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Morocco, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uzbekistan, Zambia.

Against: Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Iceland, India, Jamaica, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom.

Abstain: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Absent: Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russian Federation, Senegal, Seychelles, Swaziland, Togo, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam.

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I feel sick to my stomach
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Worst news in a long time
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The Embryonic StemCell Blackmarket is almost complete
.....
Welcome to the dark-side of black technology people, I really hope it doesn't bite us in the ass

I for once, I am all for science, and cloning is something that I in my personal opinion will yield a completely independent individual and it will require a human womb because its still a human baby.

I guess some out there are afraid that a human clone will throw away the creationist myth out of the door.

I remember when the first test tube baby was though to be an aberration.

So is that the same ban they have on nuclear weapons? ...

You can't have them but we can ...

So no one else can clone but we can when we feel it's proper?

These are all lies. We know... well I know that our government is doing all kinds of sick sh*& in their top secret bases. Bastards!

Originally posted by Angelic1
I would love to know who the 34 countries were that were for human cloning

Keep in mind that there could very well be other reasons. They may have voted against the nonbinding resolution because it wasn't binding. Or they may have felt that it was not an issue that the UN should be able to pontificate on. Or anything really.

sardion2000
I feel sick to my stomach

Over human cloning? This is not strcitly speaking, about stem cell research. I get the understanding that its about making a cloned person, which doesn't really have too much scientific worth. Certainly I can't conceive of any experiement in which it would be worth creating a human life over, as an experiment.

CmptrN3rd5
well I know that our government is doing all kinds of sick

You do not know, you merely suspect.

Over human cloning?

No Stem Cells... Allthough who knows, if we do somehow prove the existance of a "soul" maybe we could create some empty husks and transfer our "soul" to it Do not take that serously

This is not strcitly speaking, about stem cell research.

No it is not strictly about stem cells but they included it... But anyway a moratoriam or ban will only slow down technological developments. Human clones will happen anyway in some underground labratory. Maybe in China or S. Korea or even America, but it will happen ban or no ban...

I must clarify, my error was pointed out to me by another poster.

The US does not have a ban on human cloning. It regulates the use and funding of the research and technology, but has not outright federal ban. Its a complex issue apparently, with some radical right groups not supporting some of the proposed bans, because apparently they allowed embryos to be created for research, and just banned the creation of clones for reproductive purposes.

Once more, this issue illustrates, a popular culture must be scientifically literate, and up to date, in order to remain aware and act responsibly in the modern, technological, and highly complex society. This is called a 'technocracy' no, or usually the usage is in the form 'technocrats'.

some clarify references
www.ornl.gov...
tokyo.usembassy.gov...

The UN tried earlier to ban the cloning of human babies while allowing therapeutic cloning (stem cell cloning), but the US blocked the ban by demanding a universal ban. The USA does NOT have a ban in place.

There was no consensus to support a universal ban - many coutries already have bans against cloning humans but allowing therapeutic cloning - so the US demand effectively prevented any global controls.

This ban is a recommendation. It has NO teeth. It makes Bush look good to the religious right in the USA - that's all it does.



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as posted by soficrow
It makes Bush look good to the religious right in the USA - that's all it does.

Really? The religious right, huh?
Is there a religious left? If so, you apart of it?
And Bush has nothing to do with this.
This issue of human cloning has been under debate long before he even considered becoming president, maybe!

This is a matter of ethics, soficrow. Ethics is not a religious matter. Are you indicating that no one or no nations should be bound by ethics? Ah...I get it, it's unethical to prohibit the right of an individual to clone himself or herself?

Here's a thought: why clone at all?
So we can test them instead of animals when looking for cures?
So that we can harvest their organs?
Cloning is a gosh dern Pandora's Box if I ever seen one.
Got folks lining up already to pay $40 to 50,000 just to have their favorite and beloved pet cloned. Good grief.

Personally, the negatives (inherent bad) by far out weigh the positives (inherent good) that can come from human cloning.




seekerof

[edit on 8-3-2005 by Seekerof]

Originally posted by Seekerof

And Bush has nothing to do with this.
This issue of human cloning has been under debate long before he even considered becoming president, maybe!

This is a matter of ethics, soficrow. Ethics is not a religious matter. Are you indicating that no one or no nations should be bound by ethics?

You're missing three key points here:

1. The USA has NO bans in place on human cloning, either therapeutic or otherwise;

2. US political pressure served to PREVENT a world wide ban on cloning humans; and

3. The recommendation just passed in the UN is just that - it has no teeth.


Personally, I would like to see a world wide ban on cloning humans, with regulations for other cloning. This is not going to happen - thanks to Bush policies.

IMO - Bush used the USA's political power to prevent any kind of oversight on cloning research.



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