BERLIN, Aug 9, 2001 (LSN.ca) – Germany and France have submitted a request to the United Nations for the creation of an “international convention against the cloning of human beings to the end of reproduction.” French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bernard Velaro said, “It is a matter that is of importance to all humanity.” Germany’s research minister, Edelgard Bulmahn said, “freedom of research finds its borders where human dignity is affected.”
However, the ban against reproductive cloning while allowing so-called therapeutic cloning is untenable, as evidenced in the recent debates over cloning in the United States Congress. During the debate, the National Right to Life Committee warned against a bill which would allow creation of new human beings via cloning but only for research purposes. NRLC, and other pro-life groups pointed out that allowing non-reproductive cloning while prohibiting reproductive cloning would make “cloning a new human being perfectly legal—as long as you kill it!”.
Concerned Women for America noted that, if accepted, it “would be the first law in the history of the United States that makes killing human beings mandatory.” During the House debate on the matter it was pointed out that on the chance that a cloned human embryo would somehow be implanted in the womb of a woman the law might require forced abortion.
See the AP coverage at: https://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010808/wl/germany_france_cloning_1.html