ETHI: Cloning/nuclear transfer legislati

[GENETHICS@delphi.com]

According to the NY Times, the full US Senate is scheduled today (Tuesday)
to debate anti-cloning legislation. This is very unusual, as the various
bills which have been introduced have not yet gone through committee
hearings.

For our US readers, the Senate debate should be available today on C-Span 2.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) recently issued a press
release outlining its position on SB 1601, which is apparently the Bill
which will be debated. The press release is available on HUM-MOLGEN's www
site at:

http://www.informatik.uni-rostock.de/HUM-MOLGEN/documents/texts/0018.html

According to BIO, "The bill as currently drafted prohibits many uses of
somatic cell nuclear transfer related to research, separate from the goal of
banning the cloning of human beings."

Since SB 1601 does contain criminal penalties, close attention should be
paid to this debate.

A copy of the  European Parliament's recent Protocol on the same topic is
set forth below. It should be noted that although 19 member states have
ratified it, Great Britain and Germany, where much of the current research
which might be affected is being done, have not.

Hans Goerl
ETHI editor

*****************************************************************************
*************** COUNCIL OF EUROPE

European Treaties
ETS No. 168

CONSEIL DE L'EUROPE
Trait
s Europ
ens
STE N! 168
ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being
with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine, on the Prohibition
of Cloning Human Beings Paris, 12.I.1998

J
The member States of the Council of Europe, the other States and the
European Community Signatories to this Additional Protocol to the Convention
for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with
regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine,J

Noting scientific developments in the field of mammal cloning, particularly
through embryo splitting and nuclear transfer;

Mindful of the progress that some cloning techniques themselves may bring to
scientific knowledge and its medical application;

Considering that the cloning of human beings may become a technical
possibility;

Having noted that embryo splitting may occur naturally and sometimes result
in the birth of genetically identical twins;

Considering however that the instrumentalisation of human beings through the
deliberate creation of genetically identical human beings is contrary to
human dignity and thus constitutes a misuse of biology and medicine;

Considering also the serious difficulties of a medical, psychological and
social nature that such a deliberate biomedical practice might imply for all
the individuals involved;

Considering the purpose of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine,
in particular the principle mentioned in Article 1 aiming to protect the
dignity and identity of all human beings,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

1 Any intervention seeking to create a human being genetically identical to
another human being, whether living or dead, is prohibited.

2 For the purpose of this article, the term human being "genetically
identical" to another human being means a human being sharing with another
the same nuclear gene set.

Article 2 (Balance of treaty describing ratification, etc. omitted)