CLONING DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO DJIBOUTI GOVERNMENT

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000657 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL TBIO DJ UNGA KSCI SUBJECT: CLONING DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO DJIBOUTI GOVERNMENT REF: SECSTATE 96710 ¶1. (U) Ambassador delivered to Minister of Cooperation, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf on 3 May, the demarche requested reftel on the UN resolution for negotiation of a convention that would ban all cloning of human embryos. Ambassador explained to Youssouf that in 2003 the Sixth Committee of the UN considered a resolution put forward by Costa Rica for a comprehensive ban on human cloning, as well as a resolution proposed by Belgium for a partial ban. The Committee had tabled the discussion until 2004. ¶2. (U) She told Youssouf that Costa Rica has once again submitted their resolution for consideration. The Costa Rican resolution is already being co-sponsored by the U.S. and 33 other nations. Ambassador asked for Djibouti's co-sponsorship of the 2004 Costa Rican resolution. ¶3. (U) Youssouf did not indicate if Djibouti would co-sponsor, but said his government would support the Costa Rican resolution for one reason only: cloning is morally against the laws of Islam. He continued that this position has also been advocated by Al-Azhar in Egypt, which states that cloning is against the Islamic religion. Youssouf sad he expected that this would also be the Arab League position. RAGSDALE