1. (C) POLOFF MET VATICAN UN ISSUES DIRECTOR MONS. DOMINIQUE
MAMBERTI 02/07 TO DISCUSS REFTEL QUESTIONS ON VATICAN
POSITION REGARDING UN ANTI-CLONING CONVENTION DEBATE.
MAMBERTI UNDERSCORED THE HOLY SEE'S ABSOLUTE OPPOSITION TO
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HUMAN CLONING IN ANY FORM, AND REFERRED TO THE POPE'S
CONTINUING PUBLIC STATEMENTS OPPOSING IT (MOST RECENTLY
DURING THE WEDNESDAY, 2/6 GENERAL AUDIENCE). HE SAID THAT
THE HOLY SEE TOOK ITS OBSERVER ROLE IN THE AD HOC COMMITTEE
OF THE SIXTH COMMITTEE VERY SERIOUSLY AND HOPED THAT A
CONSENSUS WOULD EMERGE IN SUPPORT OF BROADENING THE MANDATE
GIVEN IT BY UNGA RES. 56/93. HE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING IN
56/93 THAT "EXCLUDES THE POSSIBILITY TO GO BEYOND THE DEBATE
ON REPRODUCTIVE CLONING."



2. (C) ASKED WHETHER THE HOLY SEE WAS CONCERNED THAT
PUSHING TO BROADEN THE MANDATE MIGHT RISK MAKING IT MORE
DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN AN AGREEMENT BANNING REPRODUCTIVE
CLONING, MAMBERTI REPLIED THAT BROADENING IS A "TECHNICAL
CONCERN" AND DEPENDED ON THE AD HOC COMMITTEE CONSENSUS,
WHICH HE WOULDN'T PREDICT. HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE QUITE OK
FOR THE HOLY SEE WERE THE UN TO REACH AGREEMENT NOW ON A
CONVENTION TO BAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING, AND TO KEEP WORKING
FOR A BROADER BAN LATER. (NOTE: WE WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR
THIS). CITING THE ANTI-TERRORISM CONVENTION, MAMBERTI WAS
CONCERNED THAT IF THE DEBATE GOT WRAPPED UP OVER BROADENING
THE MANDATE IT COULD PROLONG ITSELF FOR YEARS, WITH NO
RESULT.



3. (U) MAMBERTI SAID THAT THE HOLY SEE'S TECHNICAL EXPERT
ON THE DELEGATION TO THE FIRST MEETING OF THE AD HOC
COMMITTEE WILL BE DON ROBERTO COLOMBO (NOTE: "DON" IS HIS
ECCLESIASTICAL TITLE). DON ROBERTO, A MILAN BASED PROFESSOR
OF MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOETHICS, WAS JUST APPOINTED TO THE
PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE. THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE
CONDUCTS RESEARCH ON BIOETHICS TO INFORM THE CHURCH'S VIEWS.
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4. (C) MAMBERTI DOES NOT COVER UNESCO, AND SO WAS NOT
BRIEFED ON THAT ASPECT OF THE CLONING DEBATE. AMBASSADOR
NICHOLSON WILL DINE WITH MAMBERTI'S BOSS -- FM TAURAN -- NEXT
THURSDAY (02/14). THE PURPOSE OF THAT DINNER WAS TO DISCUSS
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE WITH VISITING EXPERT C.S.
PRAKASH. AMBASSADOR WILL RAISE THE ANTI-CLONING CONVENTION,
WHICH IS RELATED TO THE AG-BIOTECHNOLOGY DEBATE, WITH FM
TAURAN. MAMBERTI ASSURED US HE WILL BRIEF TAURAN.
NICHOLSON

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2002VATICA00699 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL