More than 60 science academies from every continent in the world have called on the United Nations to adopt a ban on human reproductive cloning. The statement was issued by the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP), a body representing scientific academies worldwide. Over 16,000 of the world’s leading scientists are represented by the academies that have signed the IAP statement. In the same statement, however, the science academies say that therapeutic cloning should be exempt from the ban.
IAP members will present the statement to delegates of the UN Ad Hoc Committee on an International Convention against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings, scheduled to meet at UN headquarters in New York City between September 29 and 3 October. The Committee has examined the possibility of issuing a declaration – in UN parlance, a ‘convention’ – that endorses a ban on cloning. Consensus, however, has been hampered by disagreements concerning the scope of such a ban, especially whether the ban should apply to research and therapeutic cloning.
IAP warns that human cloning poses a serious threat to the health of both the cloned child and the mother. Animal studies on reproductive cloning show a high incidence of fetal disorders and spontaneous abortions, and of malformation and death among newborns. According to the statement, there is no reason to suppose that the outcome would be different in humans.
Even if scientific developments meant that one day reproductive cloning could be undertaken without major medical risk, the IAP statement stresses that the practice would continue to face strong ethical, social and economic objections.
The statement, however, goes on to outline the substantial benefits that could be derived from cloning to obtain embryonic stem cells for research and therapeutic purposes. Therefore, IAP contends that such work should be excluded from the ban on human reproductive cloning.
"Human reproductive cloning is unsafe and no responsible scientist would attempt it given the huge health risks that are involved," says Yves Quéré, co-chair of the IAP executive committee and former foreign secretary of the French Academy of Sciences.
"Experience has shown that most cloned pregnancies fail or result in stillborn or deformed offspring. Even if these problems can be solved, serious ethical problems will remain that no one can ignore."
"Human reproductive cloning is already illegal in some countries," Quéré adds, "but other countries have yet to pass any laws or regulations. Failure by the international community to issue a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning will enable unscrupulous individuals to continue to experiment on humans."
At the same time that IAP is calling for a ban on human reproductive cloning, it is voicing strong support for research and therapeutic cloning.
"Cloning to obtain embryonic stem cells for research and therapeutic purposes holds considerable promise for long-term benefits," says C.N.R. Rao, president of the Third World Academy of Sciences in Trieste, which hosts the secretariat of IAP.
"That is why a ban on research and therapeutic cloning was excluded from the statement."
The UN should ban human reproductive cloning to prevent unscrupulous individuals exploiting vulnerable people, according to Lord May of Oxford, the President of The Royal Society in UK. At a press conference in London today, Lord May gave his academy’s backing to the statement from IAP, calling on the United Nations to ban human reproductive cloning.
Lord May of Oxford, said:
"As scientists and citizens we need to ensure that technology is not misused. Recent reports about attempts by unscrupulous scientists to clone human beings have concerned the scientific community worldwide. Research indicates that human cloning is a threat to the health of both the cloned child and the mother. Animal studies on reproductive cloning show a high incidence of fetal disorders and spontaneous abortions, and of malformation and death among newborns. There is no reason to suppose that the outcome would be different in humans. Given that, attempts at human cloning seem reckless and grossly irresponsible and arguably exploitive of vulnerable people who desperately want children. Moreover claims to have cloned a human being when made through the media and without proper assessment by credible scientific and medical authorities, tend to create understandable public anxiety and, as the example of the Raelians in January this year illustrates, should be treated with extreme scepticism."
"Scientific consensus on the issue of human reproductive cloning is overwhelming - over 60 academies from all parts of the world with various cultures and religions have backed this statement. But opinions on the ethics of therapeutic cloning in different countries are divided. It would be a tragedy if we allowed disagreements on therapeutic cloning to jeopardise a convention that could ensure that human reproductive cloning is outlawed across the globe and protect vulnerable people from unscrupulous individuals. Such scientists are exploiting the fact that many countries have yet to put in place laws to ban human reproductive cloning, even though there is widespread agreement that such work is medically unsafe, scientifically unsound, and socially unacceptable. A UN convention will put pressure on countries to pass legislation banning this unsafe and unethical practice. Policy on therapeutic cloning should be excluded from the UN convention and determined at national level."
"All reputable scientific and medical institutions and organisations are against human reproductive cloning and I would suggest that they have a duty to investigate the claims any scientists affiliated to them are making about human reproductive cloning."
Professor Richard Gardner, chair of the Royal Society’s recent studies into stem cell research and cloning, said:
"Human reproductive cloning is illegal in the United Kingdom. The Royal Society urges all other nations, particularly the United States, to introduce and support appropriate regulations that would create a worldwide moratorium on human reproductive cloning, regardless of whether it is funded publicly or privately. Around 30 countries have formally banned human cloning. While encouraging, this is still a minority of countries. A UN convention will put pressure on countries to pass effective legislation."
Six academies refused to sign the statement: Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the Vatican.
Approximately 33 countries have formally banned human cloning:
they include Australia, Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom (source: Center for Genetics and Society).
About IAP:
IAP is a global network of the world’s science academies that is hosted by the Third World Academy of Sciences and headquartered in Trieste, Italy.
About The Royal Society, UK:
The Royal Society is an independent academy promoting the natural and applied sciences. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as the UK academy of science, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency.
Source: Press releases from IAP and The Royal Society, UK.
