IRISH RESPONSE TO UNGA CLONING DECLARATION DEMARCHE

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000255 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO UNGA KSCI SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO UNGA CLONING DECLARATION DEMARCHE REF: STATE 33916 ¶1. On March 2, Post delivered reftel demarche to Eamon Mac Aodha, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Human Rights Office, which has departmental responsibility for cloning issues. Mac Aodha noted that Ireland had voted in favor of the resolution adopted by the Sixth (Legal) Committee on February 18 regarding the draft Declaration on Human Cloning. Mac Aodha said that the Sixth Committee's draft was consistent with Ireland's national position, and he remarked that the GOI would like to see the draft fully reflected in the Declaration to be adopted by the UNGA the week of March 7. Mac Aodha added that the USG could consider Ireland to in the "right camp" on the Declaration. ¶2. On February 28, Post had delivered reftel talking points to Fr. Paul Tighe, Director of Public Affairs for the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. On March 1, Fr. Tighe responded that he had discussed the demarche with Ireland's ranking Catholic clergyman, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who noted that the Archdiocese had been in fairly regular contact with the GOI regarding the cloning Declaration, including as recently as January. Fr. Tighe also observed that Ireland's position on the Declaration had closely followed the USG line throughout the Sixth Committee's deliberations. He added that Archbishop Martin would consider the most effective means to make further representations to the GOI about the Declaration if needed. ¶3. On March 2, Post contacted Papal Nucio Giuseppe Lazzarotto to ask him to weigh in with the GOI on the cloning Declaration. Lazzarotto replied that that the Nunciature had coordinated closely with the Dublin Archdiocese on the issue and had likewise had made several representations to the GOI. He related that the GOI had signaled during such exchanges that it would support the Declaration as recommended by the Sixth Committee. KENNY