UNITED NATIONS, March 4, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The final vote on the United Nations General Assembly vote on the agreed upon comprehensive ban on human cloning is set to take place Tuesday.
Despite its boasts that Canada in its own legislation bans all forms of human cloning (a position which experts in the field dispute), Canada voted against the UN cloning ban at the legal committee vote last month, and seemingly intends to vote against it again Tuesday.
After having given assurances that it would support the cloning ban, the Canadian delegation shocked UN watchers on February 18 by voting against the ban. The Sixth Committee adopted the United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning on that date by a vote of 71 for, 35 against (including Canada) and 43 abstentions.
Prior to the Feb. 18 vote, Conservative MP Rob Merrifield was assured twice in the House of Commons that the Canadian UN delegation would support the UN cloning ban.
On November 5, 2003, then Health Minister Anne McLellan responded to a question on the issue saying, “My department has been working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and, to the best of my knowledge, we will be supporting a resolution that bans all forms of cloning, be it therapeutic or reproductive.”
Again on October 20, 2004 current Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh gave assurances of support for the cloning ban.
“Mr. Speaker, the Canadian law is very clear. We are committed to opposing all forms of human cloning and we will take positions internationally that are consistent with our domestic policies,” said Dosanjh.
On Thursday of last week Merrifield asked the Liberal government why Canada voted against the legislation despite assurances to the contrary.
Health Minister Dosanjh responded, “Our position remains the same. Our position is, and there is a law in Canada, that we ban all forms of human cloning. The problem with the resolution was that it left avenues open for kinds of research with which Canada does not agree. That is why we did not support that resolution.”
Merrifield retorted that abstaining on the vote would have been bad enough, but voting against the UN ban supported by a majority of nations “shows an agenda”.
Merrifield added, “The government took a position at the United Nations that was contrary to its own legislation, legislation which bans all cloning. If the government is against human cloning, why did it vote against the ban last week?”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Pierre Pettigrew rose to answer the question saying, “the government’s position on human cloning is clear. All forms of human cloning for whatever purpose and using whatever techniques are banned in Canada under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. That is the reality.”
Pettigrew dodged the question of voting against the UN ban and merely stated Canada could not support it. “While important elements of the United Nations declaration are consistent with Canada’s domestic legislation on the prohibition of cloning, the government was unable to support it due to some imprecise drafting. The language presented potentially raises difficulties,” he said.
Canada’s national pro-life political organization, Campaign Life Coalition, is urging all those concerned about cloning to press Canada to support the UN declaration against all human cloning: Contact: The Canadian Mission to the United Nations [email protected] Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh [email protected] Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew [email protected]
Also, Canadians could call their members of Parliament to ask why the government has been flip-flopping on its promises to support the UN cloning ban.