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Genetics Policy Institute leads global battle to head off UN ban of therapeutic cloning on Dec 8 - Response to US led stealth campaign

December 01, 2003

Coral Gables, Florida - (December 1, 2003): The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) has organized a worldwide grassroots campaign to oppose any efforts in the United Nations to institute a ban of therapeutic cloning. This comes following the revelation that the United States and countries supporting a ban on all forms of cloning, including therapeutic cloning research, may force a vote on the issue in the upcoming General Assembly on December 8, 2003.

Bernard Siegel, a Florida attorney who serves as executive director of the Institute, stated that, "This effort reflects a major expansion of the movement opposing any therapeutic cloning ban in the United Nations. Last month our collective voices were heard and the Legal Committee of the UN recommended, by a single vote, a two-year delay on consideration of a cloning ban. While this was unfortunate as to the issue of reproductive cloning, which we vigorously oppose, it at least preserved the hopes of millions of disease victims by not stopping therapeutic cloning research."

Siegel said, "I have personally spoken to United Nations officials and diplomats concerning the upcoming vote. There is major concern among these individuals that the proponents of a ban on therapeutic cloning, principally the United States government, will attempt to strong-arm the General Assembly to reject the Legal Committee's recommendation of delay and instead force a vote on the total ban on December 8. This effort represents a secretive ploy to avoid public scrutiny and debate, and further, would defy United Nations standard protocols and play politics with a critical public policy issue. There is a great deal of anger and frustration about this among many groups who support this research."

"At least in the United States Congress, debate on the proposed legislation regarding this research takes place in the open and public participation is allowed and welcome. What is happening in the UN is the antithesis of democratic discussion. It is more like secret diplomacy, with the lives of millions of disease victims at stake," Siegel said.   An email campaign directed at UN missions together with a global media and outreach effort to affected stakeholders is currently in progress.

"It must be made clear that reproductive cloning in dangerous and unethical. It is a crime against humanity. However, it would be a policy disaster for therapeutic cloning to be halted worldwide, as part of a reproductive cloning ban," Siegel said.

Ian Wilmut, leader of the team who produced Dolly the sheep and member of the GPI Science Advisory Board, has written a letter to the United Nations missions stating, "I respectfully ask for passage of UN initiatives outlawing human reproductive cloning, but which allow for the promise of therapeutic cloning (SCNT). I share the widespread view of leading scientists and medical researchers that failure to proceed with SCNT research is the equivalent to turning our backs on one of the great medical advances of our time. It would lose the hope for understanding and treatment of many deadly diseases and conditions."

Alan Trounson, director of the Monash University (Australia) Stem Cell Research, and member of GPI's Science Advisory Board said, "The governments pressing for a global ban on therapeutic cloning are in my view misguided: each country should be free to set its own laws on this research. A proposed UN ban would cast a pall on critical research that will provide our best chance of discovering alternative methods of generating stem cells suitable for grafting and investigate genetic reprogramming."

Stem cell activist, Don Reed who is chairperson of Californians for Cure supports the GPI efforts said, "My son is paralyzed with a spinal cord injury. Therapeutic cloning of stem cells is our only realistic hope of cure: that he will one day stand up and walk. If this research is banned by the United Nations, my son may be imprisoned in his wheelchair forever."

GPI has garnered the support of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Michael Werner, chief of policy, stated in a letter of support on November 20, 2003, "BIO supports the Institute's strong advocacy and applauds its efforts to educate the public on the crucial distinction between therapeutic research and reproductive cloning. BIO recognizes that the GPI was instrumental in galvanizing into action patient groups, scientific organizations and ordinary citizens into a powerful voice in favour of legitimate scientific research."

Genetics Policy Institute (GPI)