Final Report (all chapters)

sustainable way. Examples include chocolate, coffee, fruits, vegetables, and furniture. In other
cases, the products in questions have been manufactured in accordance with broadly accepted
social standards. The textile and toy industries have made significant efforts in this area. 36 A key
reason for the success of these initiatives is the very active role played by international
nongovernmental groups. It is also fair to say that despite unresolved questions of legitimacy, the
social and environmental causes advanced by these groups are broadly in line with consumers’
preferences in industrialized countries. Unfortunately, this is not the case with consumer groups
associated with the ART industry. Groups like the National Infertility Association (known as
RESOLVE) and the American Fertility Association (AFA) espouse what may be described as a
purely self-interested perspective on many issues associated with reproductive technologies. For
example, in its response to early drafts of the President’s Council on Bioethics report,
“Reproduction and Responsibility,” RESOLVE made it quite clear that access to reproductive
technologies and the cost of reproductive services eclipse any consideration pertaining to the
health and well-being of children:
[…] At the outset, it must be stated that additional reporting requirements necessarily increase the
costs of providing treatment for infertility, and these costs will be borne by patients. We do not
support additional reporting requirements that will further burden the medical profession, making
fertility treatment more expensive for patients and less accessible to them, without providing
substantial benefits for the patients.
[…] While always concerned about material side effects of treatments, RESOLVE believes it is
too soon to launch mandatory reporting until it is known through ongoing and proposed studies
that the risks are substantial enough to justify burdening doctors and raising what may be needless
concerns in patients. 37
In this case at least, it is clear that public interest groups cannot be expected to advance the
public interest.
5.2 Recent Legislative Initiatives
5.2.1 Congressional Initiatives
Over the last few years, most OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development) countries have passed legislation in the areas of new reproductive technologies
and biomedical research. Many Asian countries also have crafted or are in the process of crafting
new laws in this area. Only one country so far has failed to take any legislative measures – the
United States. To some extent, the legislative gridlock in this area is a direct consequence of the
U.S. system of divided government. According to the Center for Public Integrity in Washington,
36
37
See, for example, Peter Fallon and Zafiris Tzannatos, "Child Labor: Issues and Directions for the World Bank,"
in Social Protection, Human Development Network (Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 1998); Charles Sabel,
Dara O'Rourke, and Archon Fung, "Ratcheting Labor Standards: Regulation for Continuous Improvements in the
Global Workplace," (John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 2000).
A letter dated October 2, 2003, from RESOLVE Board Chairperson Vicki Baldwin to the President’s Council on
Bioethics on an early draft of the report. Letter on file with the authors.
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