Description: WA General Assembly Resolution #49: Stem Cells For Greater Health (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

DECLARES that repealing GAR#49, "Stem Cells for Greater Health," will not prohibit stem cell treatments in WA member nations.

RECOGNIZES the shortcomings of this Resolution, which include:

1. The emphasis it places solely on stem-cell research:

   1. A broader base of support for innovative medical research may improve the overall health and well-being of individuals within WA member nations.

   2. Some nations may have access to technology that is more advanced than stem-cell research, which limits the usefulness of this resolution.

2. The requirement with regards to the WHA funding and conducting research into stem cells alone prevents the WHA from focusing its resources towards the most promising and effective research. Instead, the WHA is required to use their resources on stem cell research even in the face of technological advances which may make stem cell research obsolete.

3. The failure to ensure patient access and/or affordability of stem cell treatments resulting from the research and development covered in this resolution.

4. The automatic inclusion of "All breakthroughs and developments ... into the Public Domain" through this resolution waives the intellectual property rights of those who make groundbreaking discoveries and may also discourage, or at least slow, the development of new innovations.

NOTES that:

1. Consent - specifically uncoerced, informed consent - should be obtained from the donor or legal guardian of stem cell tissue, which is not required within this resolution.

2. Stem cells should be harvested as effectively and efficiently as possible, while minimizing the risk to the donor.

3. Demand for stem cells may have increased as a result of this resolution, which in turn may have resulted in unethical methods of stem cell harvesting and/or the exploitation of stem cell donors.

ACKNOWLEDGES that the World Assembly has previously affirmed the freedom of choice with regards to medical treatment and the right to medically essential drugs and treatment.

LAMENTS, however, the lack of sufficient protections for donors of stem cells within the text of this resolution.

UNDERSTANDS that this resolution is not only flawed and insufficient but may also serve as an impediment to the development of new innovations in medical technology and treatment.

ENCOURAGES the World Assembly to consider future legislation in order to promote the development of effective, cutting edge technologies in the fields of health and science.

REPEALS GAR#49, "Stem Cells For Greater Health."

Co-Authored by: Oliver the mediocre

Votes For: 8,079 (85%)
Votes Against: 1,466 (15%)

Implemented: Sat Sep 8 2012

Description: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

BELIEVES that all individuals should be accorded specific rights and protections under WA law.

REALIZES that many live donors of biomedical tissues often are donors for altruistic reasons and may receive no personal benefit from the procedure.

WISHES to ensure that donors of biomedical tissues shall not be exploited or discriminated against in any way throughout the donation process.

SPECIFIES that “biomedical tissues” shall include, at minimum, the following:

1. Blood and blood products, such as platelets and plasma.

2. Organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and heart.

3. Stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, those found in the bone marrow and the umbilical cord, and other adult stem cells.

DECLARES that prospective donors of biomedical tissues shall not be discriminated against without a valid medical rationale, such as blood and tissue typing or the presence of a dangerous contagion.

REQUIRES that the donation process for biomedical procedures shall involve:

1. Techniques that are as humane as is practicable using appropriate sterile technique for the procedure in question.

2. Testing and typing of the donor and donated biomedical tissues in order to:

   1. Ensure that the donor, if a living donor, is healthy enough to undergo the donation procedure.

   2. Determine whether or not a disease or infection is present in the biomedical tissue.

   3. Simplify the matching of donated biomedical tissues with recipients so as to minimize negative transfusion reactions, biomedical tissue rejection, and the transference of disease or infection.

1. A legally completed advance health care directive (e.g. living will) shall be followed in order to respect the wishes of the individual in question.

2. In the absence of a legally completed advance health care directive, WA member nations may permit an individual's legal guardian or next-of-kin to provide uncoerced, informed consent on behalf of a donor in the event that the individual in question is under the threshold of majority or is otherwise unable to understand the information in question.

DECREES that the medical staff that determines whether or not an individual is irreversibly "brain dead" shall not include members of the transplant staff and shall not be influenced to provide false declarations that an individual is irreversibly "brain dead."

PERMITS individual WA Nations and their health care systems to delay or defer donation of biomedical tissues due to a donor's co-existing medical condition, which may place a potential recipient at risk; if such a medical condition exists, WA nations are urged to make all reasonable attempts at treatment so as to allow the donation to occur.

Votes For: 8,856 (92%)
Votes Against: 816 (8%)

Implemented: Wed Sep 19 2012

Description: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

UNDERSTANDS the importance in assuring and protecting the rights of individuals receiving medical treatments.

SPECIFIES that “biomedical tissues” shall include, at minimum, the following:

1. Blood and blood products, such as platelets and plasma.

2. Organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and heart.

3. Stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, those found in the bone marrow and the umbilical cord, and other adult stem cells.

DECLARES that prospective recipients of biomedical tissues shall not be discriminated against without a valid medical rationale, such as blood and tissue typing or the presence of a dangerous contagion.

REQUIRES that the process for biomedical procedures shall involve:

1. Ensuring that the recipient is healthy enough to undergo the procedure.

2. Techniques that are as humane as is practicable using appropriate sterile technique for the procedure in question.

3. Testing and typing of the recipient in order to minimize negative transfusion reactions and biomedical tissue rejection.

1. A legally completed advance health care directive (e.g. living will) shall be followed in order to respect the wishes of the individual in question.

2. In the absence of a legally completed advance health care directive, WA member nations may permit an individual's legal guardian or next-of-kin to provide uncoerced, informed consent on behalf of a recipient in the event that the individual in question is under the threshold of majority or is otherwise unable to understand the information in question.

ALLOWS for WA member nations and their health care systems to triage prospective recipients based on geographic location, if the biomedical tissue in question may decrease in quality during the transport process, and other medically relevant factors (e.g. medical need).

PERMITS individual WA member nations and their health care systems to delay or defer a recipient's biomedical procedure(s) due to a co-existing medical condition, which may place the treatment tissues at risk of rejection or infection.

1. If such a medical condition exists, all reasonable attempts shall be made at treatment so as to allow the transplant to occur.

2. WA member nations may elect to match donors and recipients based on such a medical condition in the event of biomedical tissue shortages, if such a match is determined to be in the best medical interests of the recipient.

Votes For: 8,682 (89%)
Votes Against: 1,020 (11%)

Implemented: Sun Sep 23 2012

Description: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

UNDERSTANDS that despite the many advances that have been made in medical technology, there are still medical conditions in need of a cure or better treatments.

BELIEVES that, to better assure the health and wellness of citizens living in WA member nations, the World Assembly should work to facilitate the further development and innovation of medical technology and treatments.

SPECIFIES that “biomedical tissues” shall include, at minimum, the following:

1. Blood and blood products, such as platelets and plasma.

2. Organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and heart.

3. Stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, those found in the bone marrow and the umbilical cord, and other adult stem cells.

CREATES the Biomedical Innovation Organization (BIO) within the World Health Authority (WHA), which will be tasked with:

1. Coordinating research on treatments involving biomedical tissues conducted within WA member nations, including the sharing of findings and breakthroughs on an international level.

2. Including research data for biomedical innovations as a part of the Database Of Clinical Treatments Under Study.

3. Ensuring that WA member nations appropriately submit patents for biomedical innovations as a part of the Universal Patent Archive.

4. Developing and distributing an effective and inexpensive test for testing biomedical tissues for any disease or infection prior to transplantation to a recipient.

INSTRUCTS the WHA to allocate an appropriate portion of their budget to assist with the engineering and international implementation of a low-cost and effective system for storing and maintaining previously donated biomedical tissues within WA member nations. This system shall include, at minimum:

1. Medically relevant details with regards to the results of the typing and testing that has been done.

2. Procedures to prevent the unintended or incorrect transplant or transfusion of biomedical tissues (e.g. the wrong biomedical tissues, etc.)

1. The benefit to patients who are treated with biomedical tissues,

2. The details involved in donating biomedical tissues to be used for research and/or treatment, and

3. The importance of creating advance health care directives to ensure that one's own wishes are followed.

ARRANGES for the BEO to develop and provide Continuing Education courses for medical professionals throughout the multiverse in order to further the knowledge and expertise of practitioners in all WA member nations.

SUGGESTS that all WA member nations work, independently or collaboratively, to develop new systems, techniques, and technologies through which additional biomedical tissues shall be made available for transplant or transfusion.

Votes For: 8,850 (89%)
Votes Against: 1,130 (11%)

Implemented: Thu Sep 27 2012

Description: WA General Assembly Resolution #19: Child Protection Act (Category: Human Rights; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

APPLAUDS the aim of GAR#19, Child Protection Act, which is to protect children from abuse.

REGRETS, however, that shortcomings within this resolution cause it to fall short of successfully achieving this goal.

UNDERSTANDS that repealing this resolution will not prevent WA member nations from continuing their efforts to protect children within their borders.

ACCEPTS that physical and emotional abuse of children should be considered criminal acts within WA member states.

NOTES, however, that although this resolution states that "A child is entitled to ... not to be physically or emotionally abused" it fails to criminalize such actions.

FEELS that while giving children the right to not be abused is laudable, this resolution does not go far enough in working to prevent such horrific actions against children.

RECOGNIZES that this resolution's text also permits the continued abuses of children as Clause 3 reads: "A child has the right to remain with his or her parents or guardians, provided that articles 1 and/or 2 have not been violated".

OBSERVES that such wording, at minimum, permits WA member nations to leave abused children in the care of those who are abusing them until such abuse can be proven, which may result in children remaining with their abusers throughout the investigative process.

BELIEVES that children should be protected from those who are accused of abusing them throughout the investigative and judicial process.

REALIZES that the wording of the aforementioned Clause 3 means that children have a right to remain with their parents or guardians, which would include those who may be:

1. Detained in prison, for a crime unrelated to child abuse.

2. Fighting in a war in a foreign country.

3. Hospitalized for an extended period of time due to a severe illness or injury.

PROTESTS that this resolution clouds the issue of child protection rather than serving to clarify it through defining a child as “being under the age of consent or majority.” The wording of this clause is ambiguous, and it may permit WA member nations to pick and choose which definition they wish to employ in a given situation, depending on what best serves their governmental interests, versus serving the best interests of the child.

HOPES for future legislation that comprehensively ensures the protection of children.

REPEALS GAR#19, Child Protection Act.

Votes For: 8,434 (86%)
Votes Against: 1,425 (14%)

Implemented: Mon Oct 1 2012