After a couple of years of debate on the issue and killing two competing proposals last fall regarding a stance on genetic cloning, the U.N. voted to adopt a nonbinding resolution that urges its members to enact legislation that would prohibit all human cloning. As may be guessed, each side is declaring victory. The US officially had been pushing for a binding resolution for all members states to ban human cloning, and the administration praised the final result saying,
"The United States and the international community have now spoken clearly that human cloning is an affront to human dignity."
Meanwhile, Britain had supported allowing each member state to decide for itself and also declared victory.
UK health secretary John Reid yesterday said that the UN declaration is "non-binding and will make no difference whatsoever to the position of stem cell research in the UK: therapeutic cloning will continue to be allowed. The UK remains 'open for business' in stem cell research."
One part of the declaration that kinda made me raise an eyebrow is, among its general language about protecting human life and prohibiting genetic research that is counter to human dignity, language calling on nations to "prevent the exploitation of women in the application of life sciences." Now, I'm female. I'm against the exploitation of women. But sticking that among other language talking about the science research makes me wonder exactly what they're referring to (please pardon my ending this sentence in a preposition). If they mean they want to make sure women don't turn into baby machines a la The Handmaid's Tale, I'm in agreement. It just sounds weird to have it stuck in there (I mean, don't they also want to make sure there is no exploitation of men in the application of life sciences?). I'm waiting for the resolution to be published on the UN site to see what other discussion there is surrounding this part of the document.
UN
I'm male.I'm against the exploitation of men.
Posted by: anton müller | April 20, 2005 at 12:26 AM