This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 004241 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSCA PREL AORC TBIO TPHY KSCA PREL AORC TBIO TPHY VT UNGA VTUNGA
SUBJECT: VATICAN ON CLONING CONVENTION: DON'T MAKE THE 
IDEAL THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD 
 
REF: STATE 160115 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: VATICAN DFM MIGLIORE TOLD DCM AUGUST 30 
THAT THE HOLY SEE SHARED U.S. GOALS ON THE CLONING CONVENTION 
AND SUPPORTED USG EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A UN CONVENTION TO BAN 
ALL FORMS OF HUMAN CLONING.  HOWEVER, THE VATICAN FEARED THAT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  04241  01 OF 02  030554Z 
PRESSING TOO HARD FOR A COMPREHENSIVE BAN NOW MIGHT LEAD TO A 
MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE A GLOBAL BAN ON HUMAN CLONING 
THAT THE HOLY SEE REGARDS AS FUNDAMENTAL.  THE HOLY SEE IS 
PREPARED TO WORK WITH THE U.S. IN THE LEAD UP TO THE UNGA IN 
PURSUIT OF A TOTAL BAN, AND MIGLIORE TOOK ON BOARD THE NAMES 
OF THE COUNTRIES WHICH REFTEL RECOMMENDS THEY APPROACH. 
NEVERTHELESS, THE HOLY SEE IS PREPARED TO PURSUE AN 
ALTERNATIVE APPROACH IF IT APPEARS THAT A COMPREHENSIVE BAN 
IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE.  THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD DELETE THE 
LANGUAGE IN THE CURRENT DRAFT UN RESOLUTION THAT LEAVES OPEN 
OTHER HUMAN CLONING ACTIVITIES, WHILE RETAINING EXPLICIT 
REFERENCES TO THE INTENT TO MOVE AFTER PHASE ONE 
(REPRODUCTIVE CLONING) TO A PHASE TWO THAT WOULD BAN ALL 
OTHER FORMS OF HUMAN CLONING.  THE HOLY SEE BELIEVES THIS 
WOULD ESTABLISH THE PRINCIPLE THAT ALL FORMS OF HUMAN CLONING 
ARE CURRENTLY REGARDED AS "UNACCEPTABLE."  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  DCM PRESENTED REFTEL REQUEST TO VATICAN DFM 
CELESTINO MIGLIORE ON AUGUST 30.  MIGLIORE INDICATED HE HAD 
HEARD FROM THE HOLY SEE'S PERMANENT OBSERVER MISSION IN NEW 
YORK ABOUT THE U.S. APPROACH, AND CAUTIONED THAT THE U.S. 
MIGHT BE TOO AMBITIOUS.  HE SAID THAT THE HOLY SEE FULLY 
SUPPORTED US EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A COMPREHENSIVE BAN ON HUMAN 
CLONING BECAUSE WE SHARE THE SAME STRONG MORAL CONCERNS.  HE 
FEARED, HOWEVER, THAT IT WOULD PROVE IMPOSSIBLE TO GENERATE 
THE VOTES AT THIS TIME TO AUTHORIZE A CONVENTION ON A 
COMPREHENSIVE BAN ON HUMAN CLONING.  IN THIS CASE, THE HOLY 
SEE BELIEVED IT COULD PROVE IMPOSSIBLE TO REGAIN THE MOMENTUM 
FOR SUCH A BAN IN THE FUTURE, AND THE MOMENT TO ACHIEVE A BAN 
ON HUMAN CLONING COULD PASS.  MIGLIORE PREFERRED TO PRESS NOW 
FOR THE PHASE ONE BAN AS PROPOSED BY THE FRENCH AND GERMANS 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        VATICA  04241  01 OF 02  030554Z 
BUT WITH CHANGED LANGUAGE IN THE AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION. 
 
¶3. (SBU) WHILE THE HOLY SEE AGREED THAT THE TWO PHASE 
APPROACH CARRIED RISKS, THEY HAD DEVELOPED AN ALTERNATIVE TO 
THE FRENCH AND GERMAN PROPOSAL THAT THEY BELIEVED COULD 
ESTABLISH THE PRINCIPLE AGAINST ALL FORMS OF HUMAN CLONING, 
WHILE LOCKING IN A COMMITMENT TO NEGOTIATIONS ON THE SECOND 
STEP.  SPECIFICALLY, THE HOLY SEE WOULD PROPOSE DELETING OP 
3(B), WHICH HE PARAPHRASED AS READING: "THE SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
CLARIFIES THAT A BAN ON HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING IS NOT TO 
PREJUDICE THE LEGALITY OR ILLEGALITY OF OTHER HUMAN CLONING 
ACTIVITIES."  THIS DELETION, COMBINED WITH EXISTING LANGUAGE 
FURTHER DOWN IN THE RESOLUTION EXPLICITLY CALLING FOR BOTH A 
BAN ON REPRODUCTIVE CLONING AND A SUBSEQUENT CONVENTION 
BANNING ALL OTHER FORMS OF HUMAN CLONING WOULD ESTABLISH THE 
PRINCIPLE THAT ANY FORM OF HUMAN CLONING WAS "INADMISSIBLE" 
WHILE OFFERING A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD NOW, MIGLIORE MAINTAINED. 
 
¶4. (SBU) DCM ASSURED MIGLIORE THAT THE USG APPRECIATED THE 
HOLY SEE'S DESIRE TO LOCK IN THE PRINCIPLE BANNING HUMAN 
REPRODUCTIVE CLONING IN THE EVENT A COMPREHENSIVE BAN 
APPEARED UNATTAINABLE.  HE REITERATED THAT AT THIS POINT, 
HOWEVER, THE US BELIEVED IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BUILD CONSENSUS 
FOR THE CONVENTION ON A COMPREHENSIVE BAN AND INTENDED TO 
WORK HARD TO BUILD A COALITION TO THAT END.  DCM PRESSED 
MIGLIORE TO JOIN US NOW IN PURSUIT OF A COMPREHENSIVE BAN, 
WHILE KEEPING THEIR ALTERNATIVE APPROACH IN RESERVE FOR THE 
TIME BEING.  MIGLIORE INDICATED THE HOLY SEE WOULD WORK WITH 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ4886 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  04241  02 OF 02  030555Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AF-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  USNW-00  DODE-00 
      WHA-00   DS-00    EAP-00   UTED-00  VC-00    HHS-01   TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   NSAE-00  OES-01   OIC-02   PER-00 
      SSO-00   SS-00    TEST-00  DSCC-00  NFAT-00  SAS-00     /004W 
                  ------------------E174A4  030555Z /38 
O 030536Z SEP 02 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BELIZE PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY LA PAZ PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 
USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 004241 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSCA PREL AORC TBIO TPHY KSCA PREL AORC TBIO TPHY VT UNGA VTUNGA
SUBJECT: VATICAN ON CLONING CONVENTION: DON'T MAKE THE 
IDEAL THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD 
 
THE U.S. IN THIS FASHION, AND TOOK NOTE OF THE FIVE COUNTRIES 
MENTIONED REFTEL AS LIKELY TO BE OPEN TO HOLY SEE INFLUENCE. 
STILL, HE REITERATED THAT THE HOLY SEE WOULD WANT TO PRESS 
FOR ITS ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE IF AND WHEN IT SAW THAT 
CONSENSUS WAS BECOMING TOO HARD TO ACHIEVE. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) COMMENT:  THE HOLY SEE'S CAUTION ON AN ISSUE THAT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  04241  02 OF 02  030555Z 
GOES TO THE CORE OF ITS MISSION WAS SURPRISING, PARTICULARLY 
WITH POWERFUL ALLIES IN THE USG AND OTHER COUNTRIES THAT 
SUPPORT A CONVENTION ADDRESSING A COMPREHENSIVE BAN.  IN THIS 
CASE, THE CAUTION REFLECTS NOT ONLY THE HOLY SEE'S 
PRAGMATISM, BUT ALSO THE EXTREME IMPORTANCE THE HOLY SEE 
ATTACHES TO A BAN ON HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING AND DESIRE TO 
ACHIEVE AGREEMENT ON SUCH A BAN.  WE ARE CONFIDENT THE HOLY 
SEE WILL ENCOURAGE ITS UN OBSERVER IN NEW YORK AND NUNCIOS IN 
POLAND, THE PHILIPPINES, HONDURAS, ZIMBABWE, AND IVORY COAST 
TO APPROACH THE HOST GOVERNMENTS TO SEEK OUT SUPPORT FOR OUR 
APPROACH TO THE ISSUE, AND MIGLIORE HAS AGREED TO UPDATE US 
ON THEIR DISCUSSIONS.  WITH THEIR FINGER TO THE WIND, 
HOWEVER, THEY WILL TURN TO THEIR COMPROMISE IF THEY DEEM IT 
NECESSARY PRESERVE THE CHANCE FOR A FUTURE GLOBAL BAN. 
NICHOLSON 
SKODON 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 

 2002VATICA04241 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED