30 September 2003

Mr Chairman,

Let me start by congratulating you and the rest of the bureau to your election.

You have a very important task this year to try to maintain the consensus tradition of a truly sensitive issue of the Sixth committee. I can assure you that we will try to support you in any way we can.

It is of major concern to the world today and to human dignity that we continue the work as initiated in other fora on the reproductive cloning of human beings. We should remember the resolutions already adopted by for instance the UNESCO and we should continue this important work in the same spirit.

We hope that new knowledge on human stem cells and the possible clinical use of these cells will open up new possibilities for future treatment of severe, today incurable, diseases. Stem cell research is at a dynamic, but still early stage of development. It is a research area with great potential for understanding basic mechanisms in development biology and for finding new treatments for diseases, some of which are severe and handicapping such as diabetes and Parkinsons disease. It is already obvious today that this research will have great impact on drug development. Thus, the long-term goal is to replace dead cells with living and healthy cells to regain functions that have been lost to the patient.

Embryonic stem cells are unique, in that research on such cells is an important condition also for the continued and future research on adult stem cells. Therefore research on embryonic stem cells cannot be replaced by research on other types of stem cells. We are in favour of medical research for the benefit of humans, under the condition that human values are not jeopardised.

The search for knowledge must be supported. Knowledge in itself is never dangerous and should not be prevented. The search for knowledge must be weighed against the respect for the equal value of all human beings, dignity and integrity.

• Sweden supports a total ban of reproductive cloning of human beings. Reproductive cloning is completely against the dignity of mankind and should be hindered.
  
  
• Sweden also supports the proposal that all forms of cloning of human beings should be regulated nationally. This would make room for various approaches nationally, based on differing national opinions on the matter, due to different cultural, religious and ethical values of the countries of the world. It would be up to each country to decide the framework for legislation.
  
  
• Sweden would also like to see a proposal outlining that research on ethically or morally sensitive areas shall be scrutinised by independent committees.

As a response to an intense debate in Sweden on ethical and moral issues concerning cloning Sweden is now reviewing its legislation, and a parliamentary committee has suggested alterations compared to the existing law from 1991.

According to the proposed legislation reproductive cloning should be unequivocally forbidden.

The transfer of somatic cell nuclei, also known as therapeutic cloning, should not be prohibited, but subject to strict limitations:

• no research can be conducted without an approval of an ethics committee which conducts a case-by-case ethics review of the proposed research
• research can only be conducted on a fertilized egg for the first 14 days, at maximum
• a fertilized egg which has been subject of any manipulation may not be implanted in a woman’s uterus
  research on fertilized eggs aiming at obtaining genetic alterations that can be inherited is forbidden
• research on fertilized eggs is only allowed when there is no other, less invasive, method available
• informed consent must be obtained from the donors of cells to be used in the research

Sweden is also currently implementing a new system for ethical review of all research on humans including tissue samples such as human cells. Every new research project will be scrutinised and has to be approved by this new authority.

As pointed out earlier by the distinguished delegates of UK and Singapore the international research society is calling for a ban on reproductive cloning with the exclusion of cloning for research and therapeutic purposes.

The work ahead of us in the working group this week is sensitive and on some substantive issues delegations are far apart. It reflects the diversity in the world and shows that we have different backgrounds and different ethical and cultural values. It is not for us here to start negotiating on scientific methods or research techniques in detail. Our task in this working group, and what we can do here this week, is to agree on a mandate for further negotiations and to set a framework for a universally acceptable convention. It is crucial that any mandate to negotiate a convention is based on consensus and is the result of a constructive all-inclusive approach, if the negotiations are to be successful. In our view it is also important to maintain the consensus tradition of the sixth committee in principle. The common denominator is to ban reproductive cloning and to regulate all forms of cloning.

Sweden would like to associate us with the statements made by the distinguished delegate of Germany, also on behalf of France, and supported by many other delegations. However we would also like to express our sincere respect for the views put forward by the distinguished minister of foreign affairs of Costa Rica as well as the representative of the Holy See and other delegations. For Sweden it is important that we move forward from the point where we share a common opinion instead of focussing on differences. Let us decide to use that way of co-operation and understanding, when trying to move ahead producing universally binding norms and standards.

Thank you Mr Chairman.