The legal committee of the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a non-binding declaration calling on governments to ban all forms of human cloning.

The proposal, put forth by Honduras with the support of the United States, deeply divided the committee. A Belgian compromise text making a special provision for stem cell research failed to gain enough support.

Countries backing the declaration argue that all cloning, even when carried out for medical purposes, amounts to interfering with life. Critics of the declaration point out that stem cell research is of critical importance in the fight against diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

(rnw.nl)

<font color = lightgreen>I'm sure that at some point they will pass a ban on human cloning and all signees will pat themselves on the back publicly. However, research into human cloning/stem-cell research will continue unabated, even in the countries who signed to ban such research.

If you don't research into this area, then someone else will.</font>

I think the ban is stupid but a restriction would be ok. Cloning should be only used for medical purposes liking cloning organs or something like that.

Out and out cloning of humans should probably be discouraged as an abberation (the old nature is infinite in its variety arguement).

However, for specific and beneficial applications such as the research into disease prevention and cures the ban shouldnt apply.

Blanket bans are rarely beneficial or carefully thought through.