ASIA

  

 

CHINA 

 

�         �Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technologies for Human Beings,� Ministry of Public Health (August 2003).

            http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/EJ141/ej141d.htm

 

Par. 3.7, 3.15: �The performance of cytoplasm transfer and germinal vesicle transfer for infertility treatment is forbidden and the (reproductive) cloning of human beings is prohibited.� (unofficial translation)

 

Human reproductive cloning is prohibited.

 

�         �Ethical Principles on Assisted Reproductive Technologies for Human Beings and Human Sperm Bank,� Ministry of   ��� �� ���������� Health (August 2003).

            http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/EJ141/ej141d.htm

 

Par. 1.3.g �cytoplasm transfer and germinal vesicle transfer should not be allowed for infertility treatment before the problem of safety is resolved.� (unofficial translation)

 

Under the guidelines research for therapeutic purposes is allowed.

 

 �         �Ethical Guidelines on Human Embryonic Stem Cells,� Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of ����������� Health (January 2004).

            http://www.philosophyol.com/academy/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=23&ArticlePage=4

            http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/EJ141/ej141d.htm

 

Article 4: �Any research for human reproductive cloning shall be prohibited.�

Article 6: �The conduct of human embryonic stem cell research must comply with the following norms: (1) when a blastula is obtained by IVF, somatic cell nucleus transfer technique, monosexual reproduction technique or genetic modification, the culture period in vitro cannot be more than 14 days since fertilization or nucleus transfer; (2) the implantation of the human blastula which has been used for research into human or other animal's reproductive system is prohibited; (3) the hybrid between human germ cells and germ cells of other species is prohibited.�

  

�          �The Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance, An Ordinance No. 47�. The            Government of the Hong Kong    Special Administrative Region (Gazette, Legal   Supplement No. 1 to No. 26, Vol. 4, 30 June 2000, pp. A1691-A1777) (Amended 2002)    http://www.hklii.org.hk/hk/legis/ord/561/

 

Section 15: �Prohibitions in connection with embryos, against sex selection and against the provision of reproductive technology procedures to unmarried persons (not yet in operation)

(1) No person shall-

            (e) replace the nucleus of a cell of an embryo with a nucleus taken from

            any other cell; or

            (f) clone any embryo.�

INDIA

 

�         �Consultative Document on Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research on Human Subjects,� Indian Council of ����������� Medical Research (ICMR) (2000).    http://icmr.nic.in/ethical.pdf

 

The section dealing with genetics states: �Since its safety, success, utility and ethical acceptability is not yet established, research on cloning (through nuclear transplantation or embryo splitting) with intent to produce an identical human being, as of today, is prohibited.�
  

�         �Statement of Specific Principles on Human Genetics Research,� ICMR (20 July 2000).

            http://icmr.nic.in/ethical.pdf

 

�III. Therapeutic Trials Including Gene Therapy

ii) Germ Line Therapy is prohibited under the present state of knowledge in these

areas.

iv) Eugenic Genetic Engineering for selection against personality, character,

formation of body organs, fertility, intelligence and physical, mental and

emotional characteristics is prohibited.�

 

�VII. Assisted Reproductive Techniques

Cloning (through nuclear transplantation or embryo splitting): The possibility of

human cloning cannot be rejected since sheep and mice have already been cloned.

However, since its safety, success, utility and ethical acceptability is not yet established, research on cloning with intent to produce an identical human being, as of today, is prohibited.�

 

�          �Ethical Policies on the Human Genome, Genetic Research and Services,� Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of  ������ Science and Technology, Government of India (June 2001).http://dbtindia.nic.in/publication/publicmain.html

 

�Policies:

Gene Therapy and Human Cloning.-

(2)Considering the present state of knowledge, germline therapy in humans shall be proscribed. However, research on embryonic stem cell biology may be undertaken with adequate safety measures.

(3) As a principle, human cloning shall not be permitted.�

 

JAPAN

 

�          �Law concerning Regulation Relating to Human Cloning Techniques and Other   Similar Techniques,� (November 2000, in effect since June 2001)  http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shinkou/seimei/eclone.pdf

 

Article 1:

�(Purpose of the Law)

The cloning techniques and other similar techniques included in

techniques for manipulating embryos or germ cells of a human or an animal

could, depending on the way they are applied, artificially create an

individual with the same genetic structure as a certain individual

(hereinafter referred to as �human clone individual�) or an individual which

cannot be clearly classified as a human or an animal (hereinafter referred to

asamphimictic individual�), or other similar individuals. This could have

a severe influence on preservation of human dignity, safety for human life

and body, and maintenance of social order. Based upon these understandings,

the purpose of this law is to prevent and restrain creation of a human clone

individual and an amphimictic individual, and to regulate artificial creation

of individuals similar to such individuals set forth herein, by means of

prohibiting transfer of embryos produced by the cloning techniques or the

Specific Fusion/Aggregation Techniques into a human or an animal uterus,

by means of regulating production, assignment and import of such embryos,

and by means of taking other necessary measures to secure appropriate

handling of such embryos.�

 

Article 3:

�(Prohibited Acts)

No person shall transfer a human somatic clone embryo, a human-animal

amphimictic embryo, a human-animal hybrid embryo or a human-animal

chimeric embryo into a uterus of a human or an animal.�

 

�      �Guidelines to the �Law concerning Regulation Relating to Human Cloning Techniques and Other Similar Techniques,�� Minister of Education and Science (4 December 2001) http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shinkou/seimei/2001/hai3/17_shishin.pdf (in Japanese) Regulates the production of cloned embryos and embryo research.

 

�          Commentaries to the Guidelines mentioned above by the Ministry of Education and Science
http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shinkou/seimei/2001/hai3/20_shishin.pdf (in Japanese)

 

�           �The Guidelines for Handling of a Specified Embryo,� Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (1 January 2001). http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shinkou/seimei/2001/hai3/31_shishin_e.pdf

 

Section I:

�Requirements for Production of a Specified Embryo

Article 1(Requirements for Production of a Specified Embryo)

Production of a Specified Embryo shall be allowed only when the following requirements are satisfied:

1. Scientific knowledge, which cannot be acquired from research with only animal embryos or cells or other research without a Specified Embryo, is acquired from production of such a Specified Embryo; and

2. A person who is going to produce a Specified Embryo (hereinafter referred to as a "Producer") has technical ability sufficient to study with such a Specified Embryo.�

 

�Article 9 (Prohibition of Transfer of a Specified Embryo into the Uterus)

Specified Embryos, except for ones prescribed in Article 3 of 'the Law Concerning Regulation Relating Human Cloning Techniques and Other Similar Techniques (Law No. 146, 2000)' (hereinafter referred to as "the Law"), shall not be transferred into the uterus of a human or an animal for the present.�

 

 

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH KOREA

 

�         �Life Ethics Law� (29 January 2004).

 

The Life Ethics Law regulates embryonic stem cell research. According to the law only supernumerary embryos produced for infertility treatments can be used for research, therefore the creation of embryos for purposes other than infertility treatment is prohibited. However, the government will approve limited research on somatic cell nuclear transfer based on the guidelines drawn up by the National Ethics Committees. Human reproductive cloning is prohibited and subject to criminal sanctions for up to ten years in prison.(�Biological Ethics Bill Passed by National Assembly,� Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, Press Release (14 January 2004)).

 

�          �Guidelines on the Safety of Biotechnology Research,� Ministry of Health and    Welfare (December 2000)

 

The guidelines prohibit the manipulation of the human germline, the creation of IVF embryos solely for research purposes and the cloning human beings.

 

(South Korea: Human Embryo Research, Young-Rhan Um, Special Section: Bioethics Now: International Voices 2003, Cambridge Quarterly of Health Care Ethics (12, pp. 268-278, 2003)).

 

 

 SINGAPORE

 

�          "Human Cloning and Other Prohibited Practices Bill", 2 September 2004

http://www.parliament.gov.sg/Legislation/Htdocs/Bills/0400034.pdf

 

Part III. Prohibited Practices

Division 1 � Human Cloning

Prohibition against placing human embryo clone in body if human or animal

5. No person shall place any human embryo clone in the body of a human or the body of an animal.

 

No defence that human embryo clone could not survive

6. It shall not be a defence to an offence under section 5 that the human embryo did not survive or could not have survived.

 

Division II � Other prohibited practices

Prohibition against developing human embryo created other than by fertilisation of human egg by human sperm

 

7.      No person shall develop any human embryo, that is created by a process other than the fertilisation of a human egg by human sperm, for a period more than 14 days, excluding any period when the development of the embryo is suspended.

8.      Prohibition against developing human embryo outside body of woman for more than 14 days

9.      Prohibition against collecting viable human embryo from body of woman

10.  Prohibition again certain uses of embryo

    1. Prohibition against placing prohibited embryo in body of woman
    2. Prohibition against importing and exporting prohibited embryos
    3. Prohibition against commercial trading in human eggs, human sperm and human embryos

 

 

THAILAND

 

�         �Regulations on Human Cloning No. 21/2544,� Medical Council of Thailand      (June 2002).

 

            The regulations ban human reproductive cloning.

 

(�National Legislation Concerning Human Reproductive and Therapeutic Cloning,� UNESCO Division of the Ethics of Science and Technology (Paris, April 2004).)

  

 

VIETNAM

 

�         �Government Decree banning human cloning and surrogacy� (May 2003).

 

(�National Legislation Concerning Human Reproductive and Therapeutic Cloning,� UNESCO Division of the Ethics of Science and Technology (Paris, April 2004).)