Scientists call for UN compromise on cloning

Britain's leading scientists today urge the United Nations to ban cloning of babies but leave open the door for cloning of embryo stem cells as treatments for so-far incurable illnesses.

Like the Inter Academy Panel, the umbrella body for the world's national science academies, the Royal Society wants an international ban on human reproductive cloning that would allow nations to make their own decisions about research using embryo tissue. The UN general assembly is to discuss a convention on human cloning in October.

After a series of free votes in Parliament, and years of public debate, Britain banned human cloning in 2001 but became the first nation to endorse the use of cells from embryos not needed for fertility treatment in other kinds of medical research. The Royal Society and 67 other science academies in effect want to prevent the bathwater from being thrown out with the baby.

"It is clear that if the convention bans all human cloning, the UK, and other countries which permit carefully regulated therapeutic cloning, will not sign up to it," said Richard Gardner, who...