TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AGAINST HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING Inauguraldissertation zur Erlangung einer Doktorwürde der Juristischen Fakultät der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, vorgelegt von Tinia Tober Erstgutachter: Professor Dr. Hans Lilie Zweitgutachter: Professor Dr. Christian Tietje Verteidigungsdatum: 04.05.2006 urn:nbn:de:gbv:3-000010627 [http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=nbn%3Ade%3Agbv%3A3-000010627] I CONTENTS CONTENTS..................................................................................... I BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................V A. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................1 B. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE STATUS QUO: THE SCIENCE OF HUMAN CLONING AND CURRENT LEGAL REGULATION ........5 I. The science of human cloning .......................................................................5 1. Natural reproduction................................................................................5 2. Cloning techniques...................................................................................7 a) Embryo splitting..............................................................................7 b) Somatic cell nuclear transfer ...........................................................8 3. Selected biomedical purposes and possible applications of the cloning techniques ..............................................................................................13 a) Reproduction .................................................................................14 b) Therapy..........................................................................................17 4. Feasibility of a partial ban on reproductive cloning ..............................22 II. The current legal framework: An overview of international legal instruments and selected national regulations...........................................24 1. International legal instruments...............................................................26 a) Preceding initiatives of international organizations ......................26 b) The Council of Europe: The Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine...................................................................................28 aa) Background to the Convention .............................................28 bb) Provisions regulating human cloning and embryo research .31 c) UNESCO: The Human Genome Declaration................................34 aa) Provisions on reproductive cloning.......................................36 bb) The current status of the Declaration ....................................38 II 2. The law in jurisdictions particularly involved in the UN initiative .......39 a) The United Kingdom.....................................................................44 aa) The regulatory scheme ..........................................................44 bb) The ongoing debate...............................................................47 b) Spain..............................................................................................51 aa) The regulatory scheme ..........................................................51 bb) The ongoing debate...............................................................55 c) Germany ........................................................................................58 aa) The regulatory scheme ..........................................................58 bb) The ongoing debate...............................................................65 d) The United States..........................................................................68 aa) The regulatory scheme on the Federal level .........................68 bb) The regulatory scheme on the state level ..............................71 cc) The ongoing debate on the Federal level ..............................75 e) China..............................................................................................80 aa) The regulatory scheme ..........................................................81 bb) The ongoing debate...............................................................83 f) Costa Rica......................................................................................86 aa) The regulatory scheme ..........................................................86 bb) The ongoing debate...............................................................87 3. Conclusion .............................................................................................88 C. THE HISTORY AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE UN NEGOTIATIONS AIMING AT A CONVENTION AGAINST HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING.......................................93 I. Introduction: The initiative of Germany and France for an international Convention ....................................................................................................94 1. Laying the headstone at the German foreign ministry...........................94 2. Negotiations in the context of the UN General Assembly.....................96 a) Development and codification of international law ......................96 b) The power to make recommendations...........................................98 c) The Sixth Committee.....................................................................98 d) The launching of negotiations: Selection of the topic and the mandate........................................................................................100 3. Negotiation strategy: Inductive process of talks..................................101 III 4. Getting the move going: The initiation of the UN negotiations ..........102 II. A first round of negotiations envisioning a Convention .........................105 1. Expert presentations on the scientific, ethical and legal aspects of human cloning......................................................................................106 2. First exchanges of viewpoints in the plenary.......................................109 3. Introduction of a list of legal issues that may be addressed in the Convention...........................................................................................112 4. The scope of the Convention ...............................................................114 a) A broad versus a narrow scope....................................................114 b) A suggested “pragmatic approach” to reaching an agreement on the scope ......................................................................................116 c) The gradual formation of two incompatible positions regarding the scope............................................................................................118 d) Aiming at a compromise through a revised German-French proposal .......................................................................................119 5. Analysis of the first round of negotiations...........................................121 III. A second round of negotiations with a focus on the mandate ................125 1. The development of the German-French draft resolution....................126 2. The introduction of a rivalling draft resolution by the United States, Spain, and the Philippines....................................................................142 3. Analysis of the Working Group meeting.............................................147 4. Informal attempts made by the “minimalists” aiming at a compromise148 5. Discussion in the framework of the Sixth Committee.........................150 a) Introduction of the draft resolution by Germany and France......150 b) Introduction of the draft resolution by the United States, Spain, and the Philippines ......................................................................155 c) Further development of the German-French draft resolution......159 d) A meeting of the “friends” of the German-French draft resolution159 e) The decision following an informal meeting of the two sides ....161 6. Analysis of the second round of negotiations: Options for moving on164 IV. A third round of negotiations leading to a deadlock...............................166 1. The new proposal under Belgian leadership........................................167 2. The proposal made by the United States and Costa Rica ....................169 3. Another German-French proposal .......................................................170 4. Developments in the Working Group and decision.............................171 IV 5. Analysis of the Working Group meeting.............................................173 6. Sixth Committee meeting reviewing the report of the Working Group177 a) Developments since the end of the Working Group ...................177 b) Decision of the Sixth Committee ................................................178 7. Analysis of the third round of negotiations..........................................181 8. Follow-up decision of the General Assembly......................................182 9. Options for moving on.........................................................................182 V. A fourth round of negotiations days before the U.S. presidential elections .......................................................................................................184 1. In the meantime: Revised draft resolutions and extended co-sponsor lists .......................................................................................................185 2. Negotiations: A final attempt...............................................................188