"The U.N. on Cloning: Ban It"

Weekly Standard

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/360mveat.asp

While the United Nations ban on cloning is not legally binding, a three to one ratio of most nations against all forms of cloning, it's of concern to think about what will happen if we go against the majority and pursue researching cloning?  With influential countries such as the Republic of China, Belgium, and Great Kingdom all condoning the United Nations ban, it's true that these countries would most likely be behind us if we chose to move forward with this research.  However, I believe it's of legitimate concern how we it would affect our relationships with other nations if we choose to clone.  

The article makes a good point in noting that even if we were to allow access to cloning to all of our citizens, it would require millions of eggs for reproductive cloning.  Although there is no doubt that the procedure to acquire these eggs can be dangerous and indeed invasive, I believe it is important to note that to ban it on this argument would go against our fourteenth amendment of right to privacy.  It is fair to be weary of the fact that we would have to have, what the article calls "egg farms," to hold all of these eggs, it would be the choice of the woman to go through with the procedure.  No woman would be mandated to give up an egg, forced to produce an egg for this cause, so how this be exploitation (as described in the article)?  

There is also much debate regarding the wording of the United Nations' definition of their ban on cloning of the word inasmuch, and what that means.  While I think it's cleaver to try and ascribe the word to mean "to the degree to," and argues the ban does not interfere with therapeutic cloning, it does seem to infer that the United Nations did mean "seeing that."  Due to the wide debate regarding the wording of the U.N.'s stance on cloning, it may be wise for them to have all the countries revote, to make it clearer as to whether they ban all forms of cloning (including therapeutic cloning), or just some.  This is too large of an issue to not have a clear stance on how the world feels about cloning.  as this could seriously affect our relationships and constitutional rights if we are to move forward with research in this area.