AAAS Writes to U.N. on Human Cloning Resolution

AAAS has urged the United Nations General Assembly to modify a resolution calling on nations to ban all forms of cloning.

In a letter to Jean Ping, the president of the General Assembly, Alan I. Leshner, the chief executive officer of AAAS, reaffirmed the association's position that cloning to extract stem cells for research purposes "holds great promise for contributing to human health and dignity." He noted that AAAS has endorsed a legal ban on efforts to clone human embryos for reproduction.

In February, a sharply divided U.N. committee approved the resolution opposing all forms of cloning. It now goes to the General Assembly for a final vote, which is expected soon.

For more information, read the letter.

See also AAAS Statement on Human Cloning and other AAAS Statements.