Overview of world human cloning policies

Overview

World policies on human or reproductive cloning range from complete prohibition to no policies on record. Over 30 countries, including France, Germany, and the Russian Federation, have banned human cloning altogether. Fifteen countries, such as Japan, the United Kingdom, and Israel, have banned human reproductive cloning, but permit therapeutic cloning . A few countries such as Hungary and Poland do not explicitly prohibit embryonic stem cell research or therapeutic cloning, partially because their legislation was drafted before embryonic stem cells were first produced (1998). Many other countries, similar to the United States, have yet to pass any official legislation concerning human cloning allowing all types of stem cell and cloning research to occur.

In addition to countries developing their own policies, several international organizations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the European Union, have published human cloning policies and recommendations, which are described below. Several other organizations including the African Union and the Arab Leagues have discussed the issue, but have yet to release a formal declaration. Furthermore, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and a group led by Johns Hopkins Phoebe R. Berman Bioethics Institute, known as the Hinxton Group, are working to outline principles for human embryonic stem cell international collaboration and cooperation.

*Some prohibit the derivation of embryonic stem cells, but do not specifically prohibit the research using existing lines.

**Ban refers to countries which banned human cloning (both reproductive and therapeutic).

United nations

On March 8, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the nonbinding‘Declaration on Human Cloning’, by which member states were called on to adopt "all measures necessary to prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life." The vote was 84 in favor (including United States, Germany, and Italy), 34 against (including United Kingdom, South Korea, and Brazil), 37 abstaining (including South Africa and Israel) and 35 were absent. This Declaration is arguably weakened by the fact that it was not even passed by a majority of the UN membership.