Ban on Using Genome Editing as a Weapon
Category: Global Disarmament
Strengt: Mild
The World Assembly,
Acknowledging evolution as a natural process in which organisms with the genes that are best at adapting to their environment have a breeding advantage over organisms with less suitable genes,
Aware of the concept of "selfish gene", which is a gene that is more likely to be inherited from a parent to an offspring due to a process in which the gene causes a disruption in the DNA code of the competing form of the gene, which the DNA regulation system then repairs by creating a copy of the selfish gene,
Concerned that the artificial creation of such selfish genes, for the purposes of, for example, better pest control methods, could also be used maliciously on sapient beings, livestock and other important organisms, through the editing of inherited genome,
Hereby,
1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution,
- a "gene drive" as an artificially created selfish gene,
- "inherited genome" as the genetic code passed from a parent to an offspring,
- "important organism" as an orgamism that is sapient, farmed by sapients or belongs to a keystone species for an ecosystem,
2. Forbids the use of gene drives as weapons,
3. Forbids using gene drives to edit the inherited genome of an important organism, unless it is done for one or more of the following reasons:
- removing a faulty gene responsible for a disease, condition or syndrome that markedly reduces the quality of life of the organism,
- a controlled scientific experiment, which, when done on a sapient organism, qualifies as a medical procedure and requires the fully informed consent of the individual,
- improving the chances of survival of the important organism, such as by introducing a gene to create resistance to a disease or pest,
4. Explicitly leaves it to member nations to decide whether or not to allow the creation and use of gene drives within their borders,
5. However, imposes the following restrictions on all use of gene drives:
- creation of gene drives that can easily jump from species to species through various naturally existing methods is forbidden, unless the informed consent of all the nations on the same planet or other such enclosed ecosphere can be obtained, or all possible precautions are taken to avoid the release of such gene drives into the wild,
- using gene drives to edit the inherited genome of a migratory species is forbidden, unless the informed consent of the nations along the natural migration routes of the species can be obtained,
6. Requires that unintentional breaches of the restrictions to clause five are immediately reported to the involved nations,
7. Encourages the member nations to share scientific information on gene drives with the World Assembly Science Program, World Assembly Patent Office and World Assembly Commission on Biological Agents, to further general knowledge and public understanding of what gene drives are and how they can be used responsibly.
OOC: Thank you to Libraria and Ausitoria for giving me this idea.