The Speech of Christopher Reeve in COGI World Congress

The 27th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility (COGI) - All about Women’s Health, Paris, France, 21-23/11/2019

A discussion on controversies in obstetrics, an in-depth analysis. During attending this congress, once again we were faced with the realization of how truly limitless science is.

Through nuclear transfer and the unique “Gene Therapy”, pinpointed by Christopher Reeve during his speech, we’ve taken a crucial step in the advancement of pregnancy in older women.

Christopher Reeve’s Speech in COGI

First, I want to thank my friend Bernie Siegel and his remarkable organization, the Genetics Policy Institute, for arranging this very important conference at the United Nations and I'm very sorry that I can't be there in person now. As representatives to the UN all of you hold positions of enormous responsibility, you are perceived as the voice not only of the countries you represent, but as the collective moral voice of the world.

Millions of patients just like me will be watching with great concern as you continue your important deliberations. Everyone I know of, including a scientist you'll hear from today, opposes the cloning of babies and the pursuit of reproductive cloning, but every leading scientist seeking cures, calls for stem-cell research to advance therapeutic cloning.

Also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, offers real hope. The research is still in its infancy, but it has so much promise and not to encourage the ethical pursuit of this research might result in needless human suffering and destroy the hope of those afflicted with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, spinal cord injuries and the host of other conditions for which no cure is yet known.

Countries around the world are grappling with this issue and deciding that the purpose of government is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Countries can ban reproductive cloning and still live up to their obligation to provide the best medical technology to all citizens.

I have a real concern that a great medical advance might be lost to humanity, should the United Nations recommend a treaty that would prohibit this research. So my prayers are with you and I hope I hope you'll make the right decision, a decision based on secular law and morally sound scientific knowledge, that will provide hope to millions suffering all over the world.

Thank you very much,
Christopher Reeve

NOTE: Christopher Reeve died at the age of 52 on Cotober 10, 2004. He became famous by playing comic superhero Superman. On May 27, 1995, Reeve was left quadriplegic after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. He used a wheelchair and needed a portable ventilator to breathe for the rest of his life.
He lobbied on behalf of people with spinal cord injuries and for human embryonic stem cell research, founding the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.