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By Kathleen Carmody
The Catholic Women’s League has called on governments of the world to reaffirm the UNESCO Document on the Universal Declaration on
Human Genome and Human Rights.
CWL Australia will take its concerns to the World Union of Catholic Organisations (WUCWO) Assembly in Rome in March.
Fifteen resolutions will be put to the WUCWO board as
part of the assembly’s business agenda, including Australia’s submission appealing for the reaffirmation of the 1997 UNESCO document, especially articles 2 and 11.
The CWL believes that cloning in any form,
including controversial stem-cell research, breaches the above articles of UNESCO’s declaration.
Article 2 of the UNESCO declaration states that, “Everyone has a right to respect for his or her dignity and
for his or her rights regardless of their genetic characteristic” and “That dignity makes it imperative not to reduce individuals to their genetic characteristics and to respect their uniqueness and diversity”.
Article 11 says: “Practices which are contrary to human dignity, such as reproductive cloning of human beings, shall not be permitted. States and competent international organisations are invited to co-operate
in identifying such practices and taking, at national or international level, the measures necessary to ensure that the principles set out in this declaration are respected.”
“The UN through its bodies, in
this case UNESCO, have many declarations but for some unknown reason they don’t really use them as they should,” commented Madge Fahy, Social Issues Convenor, CWLA Inc.
“Often they promote quite the opposite.
So in this case, we are saying that here we have this declaration which really is vitally important and no seems to realise that it is there to be used. So use it we have!” Mrs Fahy said.
The resolution
presented by CWL Australia to the WUCWO World Assembly calls for the banning of all forms of cloning, notwithstanding the benefits that may be claimed to be the purpose of such procedures.
Other
recommendations include banning the mixing of human and animal gametes, and encouraging biomedical scientists to look at other avenues in their search to cure diseases which do not offend against the sanctity of
human life.
“The distinction between ‘therapeutic’ and and ‘non therapeutic’ cloning is spurious and designed to win acceptance for practices that are intrinsically wrong and contemptuous of human life and
its Creator, God,” the CWL stated.
“While people suffering from genetic or other serious diseases are always deserving of our compassion, the relief of suffering in one group of human persons does not justify
the destruction of other human beings, whether created by cloning or other means.”
The move comes at the same time as the British Government’s decision to approve the cloning of stem cells from human
embryos, despite fears the research may lead to human cloning.
Other matters of great urgency and concern to women worldwide to be discussed at the assembly include violence against women, trafficking and
sexual exploitation of women and children, women in decision-making, and international legislation to support and uphold family life and values.
In addition to the resolutions to be voted on, 28 nominated
candidates from countries and organisations within the regions of Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin American and Carribean, and North America, will be presented for election to the WUCWO board. Australia’s
nomination, Mrs Brenda Finlayson of Ballarat, represents both the CWL and the Sisters of Charity, the two Australian organisations associated with WUCWO.
After being elected, Mrs Finlayson will attend annual
WUCWO meetings as well as join commissions, working groups and committees. The election will take place in Rome.
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