Indeed, there could be some parallels. But at least one significant
difference: there is currently no obvious intergovernmental organization for
SRM equivalent to what the WHO does for health. Consequently, where would such
a decision pop-up, either to guide research ex ante or to regulate ex post? A
serious gap in governance frameworks.
Janos
=======================
Janos Pasztor
Executive Director
Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2)
2 rue du Temple, CH-1180 Rolle, Switzerland
Mobile: +41-79-739-5503
jpasz...@c2g2.net | www.c2g2.net
Twitter: @jpasztor | Skype: jpasztor
From: <geoengineering@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Andrew Lockley
<andrew.lock...@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "andrew.lock...@gmail.com" <andrew.lock...@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, 19 February 2019 at 13:38
To: geoengineering <geoengineering@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [geo] WHO forms human genome editing panel in wake of controversy -
BioNews
Poster's note: obvious parallel to SRM regulation backlash. I expect our field
to replicate this experiment-backlash-regulate model.
https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_141446
WHO forms human genome editing panel in wake of
controversy<https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_141446>
18 February 2019
By Sam Sherratt<https://www.bionews.org.uk/samsherratt>
Appeared in BioNews 987<https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_141432>
The World Health Organization (WHO) is
convening<https://www.who.int/ethics/topics/human-genome-editing/committee-members/en/>an
18-member committee of scientific experts from around the globe next month
with the goal of developing international standards for the oversight of human
genome editing<https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_2517>.
According to the WHO's official
announcement<https://www.who.int/ethics/topics/human-genome-editing/committee-members/en/>made
last week, the committee will 'examine the scientific, ethical, social and
legal challenges associated with human genome editing'. The committee plans to
have its first meeting in Geneva in March with the aim of reviewing the current
landscape of genetic research.
The committee will be overseen by
co-chairs<https://www.who.int/ethics/topics/human-genome-editing/committee-members/en/index1.html>
Justice Edwin Cameron, a prominent human rights lawyer and justice of South
Africa's Constitutional Court, and Dr Margaret Hamburg, foreign secretary of
the US National Academy of Medicine. The committee membership itself comprises
of an international coalition of medical doctors, biomedical researchers, human
rights lawyers and bioethicists, including Professor Robin
Lovell-Badge<https://www.progress.org.uk/robinlovellbadge>, chair of trustees
of Progress Educational Trust, which publishes BioNews.
The WHO's decision is thought to be motivated largely by a recent controversy
in China, where Chinese researcher Dr He Jiankui stunned the global scientific
community with his announcement that he had used
CRISPR/Cas9<https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_2519> genome editing technology to
create the world's first genetically modified human children.
Dr He revealed the birth of the twin girls last year ahead of a major genome
editing conference in Hong Kong, describing how he and his colleagues had used
CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in human
embryos<https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_2310> to remove a
gene<https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_2316> called CCR5, with the aim of
producing 'HIV-resistant infants' (see BioNews
977<https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_140038>).
Dr He's announcement was met with widespread outrage by many who considered the
experiments poorly performed and unethical.
Additional developments have only added to the furore, as it has also been
announced<http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/21/c_137762633.htm> by
Chinese media outlets that Dr He may have committed further ethical breaches,
including the forging of ethical review documents.
The WHO hopes to reduce the chance of such incidents occurring in the future
with the formation of the new committee, with the aim to 'advise and make
recommendations on appropriate governance mechanisms for human genome editing'.
SOURCES & REFERENCES
Hamburg to co-chair WHO human genome editing
committee<https://www.biocentury.com/bc-extra/politics-policy/2019-02-14/hamburg-co-chair-who-human-genome-editing-committee>
Biocentury | 15 February 2019
WHO appoints expert panel on gene editing after world's first baby
claim<https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/gene-editing-who-1.5019421>
CBC | 14 February 2019
WHO expert advisory committee on Developing global standards for governance and
oversight of Human Genome
editing<https://www.who.int/ethics/topics/human-genome-editing/committee-members/en/>
World Health Organisation | 14 February 2019
World Health Organization Forms Committee To Guide Editing Of Human
Genes<https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/14/694710663/will%20examine%20the%20scientific,%20ethical,%20social%20and%20legal%20challenges%20associated%20with%20human%20genome%20editing.%20The%20aim%20will%20be%20to%20advise%20and%20make%20recommendations%20on%20appropriate%20governance%20mechanisms%20for%20human%20genome%20editing>
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