UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

(UNEP)

USING BIOENGINEERING TO ADDRESS

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BACKGROUND GUIDE

VILLA CARITAS & SAN PEDRO MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2019

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Hello and welcome to the third edition of Villa Caritas-San Pedro Model United Nations!

My name is Natalia Salamé-Córdova and I will be your director for the United Nations

Environmental Programme in this year’s conference, along with Paula Bisso.

I graduated from Villa Caritas last year and I am currently studying Industrial Engineering at

Universidad de Lima. However, in my free time, I enjoy singing, acting and binge-watching

documentaries on Netflix.

My MUN experience began in 2016 (in an UNEP committee, actually), when my best friend,

who is your Secretary General for this year, convinced me to join our school’s team. Since

then, I can’t get enough of what Model UN has to offer. Throughout the years, I have been

lucky enough to be able to participate in several national Model UN's like LiMUN and

CarMUN, as well as international conferences including HMUN 2018, where I had the chance

to win an award in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee.

Even though it might not show at first sight, I consider myself a huge environmentalist, and

this is one of the reasons why I’m excited about chairing this committee. I can gladly say that I

am very passionate about debating a topic regarding our ecosystem and our environment,

whose current status is regularly overlooked by a lot of people, specially by those in positions

of power.

I sincerely hope that many of you are as excited about this subject as I am, or that at least you

have fun and enjoy yourselves while learning about the advancement of technology in all

sectors of our lives, and how this useful tool can be used to humanity’s advantage.

If you have any doubts regarding the conference do not hesitate to contact me or Paula via

email. I look forward to meeting all of you in May and seeing your original proposals

regarding this topic!

Natalia Salamé-Córdova Chair – United Nations Environment Programme Villa Caritas & San Pedro Model United Nations 2019

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Welcome delegates, to the starting point of your VCSP MUN experience in the UNEP

committee!

I am Paula Bisso and, along Natalia Salamé-Córdova, I have the pleasure to be your director

on this occasion. I hope all of you are as excited as I am to meet each other at the

conference, especially since this will be the first time I will be chairing a committee (until now,

I had only had the opportunity to chair as an assistant director in VCSPMUN 2017).

I am currently studying Marketing at Universidad de Lima, and even though I graduated from

Villa Caritas last year, I keep getting myself involved in many school activities now as a former

student. During my free time, I enjoy reading, baking desserts (even though, I am the worst at

it), sketching fashion illustrations, playing the piano and going out with my friends.

Having being part of the MUN team for the last three years of my life, I have had the chance

to attend to various conferences including CarMUN, STMUN, and Markham MUN, among

others, and won several awards. Nevertheless, setting aside the prizes and competition, what

I genuinely love about MUN are those intense moments of the debate: when you and your

bloc are deciding what the best political move is after a considerable update, or the thrill of

excitement when your resolution passes. Considering this, I am entirely interested in your

proposals, ideas and plans. However, bear in mind that most importantly I want you to be

passionate about what you are debating.

I am looking forward to seeing you discussing interesting issues as well as creating new

friendships and memories throughout the conference, and I hope we have a challenging, fast-

paced and above all, fun, experience with you in UNEP!

Paula Bisso Chair – United Nations Environment Programme Villa Caritas & San Pedro Model United Nations 2019

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I . INTRODUCTION It all started with a bacterium, genetically modified back in 1973. The next year, the same

techniques were applied to a more complex creature: mice. Today, over 45 years later, the

extremely rapid pace at which DNA technology has been developing has proved that it is

possible for us, humans, to manipulate specific genes in diverse life forms in order to create

new species through genetic engineering (GE). Evolution, since the beginning of life on Earth,

has conceived all of the living organisms that surround us, developing them with specific

traits and characteristics. This was until now. Scientists have found a way to bypass this method through the selection of specific genetic

material from one or more creatures, and the insertion of it into the genes of another animal,

plant or food, resulting in the creation of new, foreign, whole organisms. Nowadays, GE has

been applied in several fields such as scientific research, food industry, agriculture and

technology. For instance, it has been implemented in rice as well as in potato and tomato

crops in order to improve their growth rate and nutritional value. Nonetheless, researchers’

ability to control nature is beginning to get out of hand. The already existing “super

muscled” pigs, fast-growing salmon, featherless chicken, see-through frogs, fluorescent

zebra-fish are just the start of it, so it only leaves us to ask ourselves what will happen 20 years

from now? If genetic engineering has the potential to change humanity forever… What

comes next?

I I . HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE The United Nations Environmental Programme is known as the decision-making body that

addresses critical environment-related issues. Meeting biannually in Nairobi, Kenia, its main

aim is to work as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator in the promotion of the

responsible use and development of the environment.

This organization was established in 1972, and it is subdivided into seven different categories,

those being climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental

governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency and environment under review. This UN

body has come into particular spotlight throughout recent years as a consequence of climate

change advancement, the modernization of weapons in warfare (such as nuclear arms), and

the increasing shortage of resources, highlighting the need for studied and well-tested

approaches to be able to tackle the different disputes that arise over time.

The UNEP has significantly played a key role in the identification and analyzation of global

environmental problems. For instance, one of UNEP’s most widely recognized outcomes is

“Earthwatch”, an international monitoring system created to ease the exchange of

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environmental information between governments. Moreover, this organization provides

technical assistance for a variety of international conventions, including the Montreal Protocol

on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987), the Basel Convention on the Control of

Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989), and the UN

Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).

I I I . HISTORY OF THE TOPIC Even though the topic of the use of genetic engineering seems like a futuristic reality and

something that could only be done with the use and support of expensive and modern

technology (and in a way it is), us humans have a long history in the refashioning of animals'

bodies and behavior, starting with the creation of the canis lupus familiaris species (also

known as the modern dog we know and love today). These are products of wild wolves

blended with thousands of years adapting to life with humans. Through this process, the wild

animals lost many of the traits that they needed in order to survive in the wild, which implied

a change in their physical characteristics, including a reduction in their bodies, heads, and

teeth. As our relationship with the canines developed, we began to breed them in a more

careful manner, in a way, "creating" new species of dogs that excelled in certain tasks. By

doing this, we were able to create the most physically diverse species on Earth.

Humanity has also been able to reshape other species as well. By breeding, we have created

plumper birds for eating or softer sheep to use for wool, as well as different goldfish

variations with amusing features. In the words of Emily Anthes, writer of Frankenstein's Cat:

Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts" (2013), "We learned to breed animals that

suited our every need, creating hunters, herders, guardians, food sources, and companions…

the members of many species diverged from their wild ancestors and took place in the

human world”.

A. DOLLY THE SHEEP With the passing of the years, several technological advancements permitted humanity's

wildest dreams regarding genetic engineering to come true. This is the case of the cloning of

Dolly the Sheep (named after the Country singer Dolly Parton), which marked the beginning

of cloning and genetic engineering as we know it, because even though she wasn't the first

animal to be cloned, she was the first clone to be produced by a cell belonging to an adult

animal.

She was born on July 5th, 1996 in the Roslin Institute located in Midlothian, Scotland and her

conception required support from three mothers: one who provided the egg, another one

the DNA, and the third one who carried the embryo. Dolly was created through the use of a

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process called somatic cell nuclear transfer. In this process, the cell nucleus from an adult cell

is transferred into an unfertilized developing egg cell which has already had its nucleus

removed. This cell is stimulated via electric shock and is "tricked" into thinking it has been

fertilized. After this, it gets implanted into the surrogate mother.

The existence of Dolly was announced to the public on February 22nd, 1997, and it gained a

huge quantity of attention in the media, so much that a commercial that featured Scottish

scientists playing with sheep was aired as well as a special report done by Time Magazine.

Image 1 - Dolly meets the world's media.

Source: Murdo Macleod

IV. CURRENT SITUATION

A. ETHICS AND MORAL DISCUSSION

These advancements all seem quite positive and as if they wouldn't require putting any

animal's life at stake. However, in China, the world's manufacturing powerhouse, the mass

production of mutant mice is an industry taking shape at a massive scale. By randomly

disabling these animals' genes, scientists have been able to create hundreds of thousands of

mutant mice. This should be enough to raise suspicions on whether purposely creating

rodents that suffer from several diseases or that are unable to turn in every direction, for

example, is actually the very best method to dive into the world of genetic engineering.

On the other hand, the creation of new species through the use of bioengineering is also

thought to be an act of "playing God" by many conservationist movements. And in a way,

aren't we trying to impose our superiority as humans by creating these species and modifying

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them for our mere pleasure? Should we finally learn to respect our environment in the way

that it was created or should we intervene to try and fix the mistakes we already made but

with the cost of millions of innocent animal lives? (Goodwin n.d.) (Macleod n.d.).

Image 2 - Anti GMO protesters with signs about bees and food safety.

Source: Chris Goodwin

B. IMPACT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ORGANISMS

There are many consequences to the appearance of these new technologically intervened

animals. For instance, farm animals can be modified to have healthier and faster developed

meat or to feel less pain (a factor within the conditions of modern factory farms which is often

discussed). Genetically engineered animals can also be created as a tool for medical research

in the odyssey of finding cures for genetic diseases such as cancer. Furthermore, the cloning

of species in danger of extinction offers a viable pathway for the preservation of several

animals' genetic information once the last of the species dies.

Other beneficial uses of genetically engineered animals for our use include but are not

limited to the bioengineering of animal tissues as a cruelty-free response to animal testing,

generating animal organs such as pig hearts for human transplants from scratch, and creating

animals whose raising can be more sustainable and can produce more food in less time while

generating less methane and therefore contributing to alleviate the alarmingly increasing

climate change, among others. (Project n.d.). These ideas seem like very innovative responses

to current problems we have in our current society. However, these are projects that still have

millions of dollars and many years of advance and research ahead to be able to ensure the

safety of these plans presented.

An example of how these genetically engineered beings are still stigmatized is the reaction of

the U.S Food and Drug Administration regarding the topic. This federal establishment has

stated that any new gene added to any organism is to be considered a drug. Therefore, these

animals are regulated under the federal, food, drug and cosmetic act. Furthermore,

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companies that are seeking to sell an engineered animal (whether it is for food or as a pet),

must demonstrate that the transgene has no negative effects on the animal's life itself.

Regulators in the United States of America also evaluate how a GMO might affect the

environment if it happened to make its way into the wild.

It is your job as delegates to research about legislation on the topic in your country or region

and build up your country's policy taking into consideration the surrounding social,

economical and political factors.

V. CASE STUDIES

A. GLOFISH

It wasn't long since scientists cracked the genetic code that they started moving DNA all

around the animal kingdom, swapping genes between every creature they could find. This

could help researchers take a gene from an animal and insert it into another one to learn how

it worked and how it helped the animal progress throughout its lifespan. Along the way,

geneticists developed amusing experiments, including figuring out how to engineer animals

that glowed. They knew that some species such as the crystal jellyfish were able to develop

this kind of trick on their own. The secret to this neon light they emit is a compound called

green fluorescent protein (or GFP), which takes in blue or black light and reemits it in a kiwi-

green one. When scientists discovered GFP, they began to wonder what would happen if

they took this gene and inserted it into another animal.

In 2005, Singaporean scientist Zhiyuan Gong and his team were able to produce medeka - a

small fish native to Asia - that turned green when exposed to environmental estrogens and

synthetic chemicals. Likewise, in 2010, South Korea, host of the G20 Summit, was able to

employ a school of security fish to protect the world's leaders from contaminated water.

This scientific discovery is the reason why Yorktown Technologies was founded, to be able to

genetically engineer and sell these pets as "glow in the dark". As Alan Blake, co-founder of

Yorktown Technologies, prepared to develop and sell these innovative pets, public opinion

surveys showed that in the US, most Americans weren't fans of lab-grown companions,

having only 4% saying that creating new pets was a very good reason to meddle with animal

genomes. However, once GloFish hit the markets, customers simply liked the fish. So, is it

possible that these close encounters with biotechnology are helping us understand it better

and notice that these creatures aren't monstrous beings?

There isn't an exact way to figure out if these fish are suffering more or less than their

"natural" counterparts. However, these fish are just a preview of the coming attractions. If we

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can get black and white fish to glow in neon colors, what else can we get animal bodies to

do?

Image 3 - GloFish

Source: Animalia Life

B. BELTSVILLE PIGS

Bernard Rollin, a philosopher at Colorado State University, proposed that a simple ethic was

used to measure and evaluate the genetic alteration of animals. He expressed that if a line of

animals were to be modified, the resultants should not be “worse off from a welfare point of

view-and preferably better”. This however, was not the case of the creation of the “Beltsville

pig”, which were animals containing the human growth hormone. The intentions behind the

birthing of these genetically engineered species was to create a swine that gained weight

faster, required less feeding, and that had a lower body fat percentage than a normal pig.

The outcomes of this experiment were surely animals that were leaner and required less

calories to gain weight. However, welfare-wise, their modification was considered as

catastrophic: kidney and heart disease, diabetes, weakened immune systems, diarrhea,

arthritis, ulcers, pneumonia and sexual dysfunction were just a few of the pigs’ afflictions that

seriously compromised their quality of life and welfare. Of the 19 pigs containing the

transgene, 17 passed away within the first year.

Image 4 - Genetically modified pigs in Cambodia

Source: The Sun

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C. AQUADVANTAGE SALMON: The secret behind the creation of this “super fish” is a piece of biological code borrowed

from an eel-like fish that lives in cold water known as ocean pout. To prevent its body from

freezing over, the animal produces its own antifreeze solution, as indicated by the icy

temperatures detected by the body. Scientists mixed this gene with growth hormones from

the Chinook Salmon, introducing both of them into Atlantic Salmon, which only produces a

growth hormone in the summer. As a result of this, the fish reached their adult size much

faster than their “natural” counterparts, saving the producers of these genetically engineered

animals a year and a half of growing time.

AquAdvantage Salmon, produced by Missisipi based firm AquaBounty, was the first animal to

be declared as safe by the FDA for consumption in the market in 2015, as it presented no

material or nutritional value that differed from the natural species. However, these fish have

only been available in Canada, and it wasn’t until early March 2019, that this species were

legalized for sale in the United States due to complications regarding labeling guidelines.

As a result of several doubts regarding the lack of cautionary measures taken to ensure

physical containment and the consequential breeding in the wild of this salmon, several

regulations have been established. The AquaBounty Salmon is only permitted to be raised in

two land-based tanks in Canada (a particularly strategic country to raise Salmon, as the high

salinity waters surrounding the nation would impede the escaping fish eggs from surviving if

an infiltration into nature were to be done). The salmon eggs are shipped to another land-

based facility kept at high altitude in Panama, 120 kilometers away from the nearest Salmon

populations, where the eggs hatch and grow to the market desired size.

Image 5 - AquAdvantage Salmon Next to a Natural One

Source: National Geographic

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VI. PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTION

Due to the fact that the topic of genetically modified animals is relatively new, very few

regulations have been implemented in order to prevent any inconveniences from surging,

which is something that a scientific issue of this magnitude and impact is very prone of

experiencing. However, some countries such as the United States have explicitly forbidden

genetically engineered animals to be included into the human food supply and in addition, all

GE animals are required to be identified and tracked through all the research and

development processes. Nevertheless, since only one genetically engineered animal species

has been approved for consumption (that being the AquAdvantage salmon), it is still only

being done at the R&D stage with other genetically modified animal products.

As explained earlier, not many countries have explicitly established laws regarding this topic.

Consequently, several international requirements for the implementation should be debated

and a way to establish them into every country should also be proposed in order to prevent

any casualties from rising up.

VII. POTENTIAL BLOC POSITIONS AND KEY ACTORS It is extremely important to understand and respect the position each country has taken

regarding this issue, in order to reach consensus and propose an integrated resolution that

suits every country. However, nations around the world see themselves having different

points of view of regarding this topic due to the different social, economical and political

circumstances a country can find itself in.

A. COUNTRIES WITH GMO CAPABILITIES

Many of the countries that have access to GMO capabilities have the conviction that as

genetics expand, they will revolutionize matters of science, medicine, and health. Despite

their desire to expand their research boundaries by using these technologies, the will of this

nations to regulate their GMOs by calling a public policy reform regarding GE with greater

transparency and more public participation might be a strong priority. These countries might

join forces with others that do not have enough resources to be in possession of their own

GMO technologies but do promote research, since they have recognized that there is a

greater yield available because of the potential use of GMOs in numerous ways.

B. COUNTRIES WITHOUT GMO CAPABILITIES

Under the topic of debate in our modern times, it is essential to consider the positions of less

developed countries that do not have access to GE technology and would therefore not be

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benefited if a new industry - based on genetic modified products - were to be launched.

C. COUNTRIES AGAINST GMO TECHNOLOGIES

Several countries are known to be very conservative when it comes to issues regarding ethical

concerns: fears about misuse and “playing God”. This is the reason why many of them do not

approve the development of genetic engineering practices, as they are certain it will

endanger the future in one way or the other. In this committee, this nations should aim to use

their own perspective on the topic by explaining the drawbacks that the active expansion of

GE would have on the next generations, and what could happen if we use it irresponsibly as a

method of influence on other states’ decisions towards creating new species by genetic

modification.

We know this topic can be controversial and there are many ways to approach this situation

due to the different views on it. However we truly expect from you, delegates, to negotiate

with one another, respecting your countries’ policies, and keeping diplomacy present

throughout the conference.

Image 6 - Countries and their Policies regarding GMO’s

Source: Genetic Literacy Project

VIII. QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER (QARMAS)

1. What possible threats can genetically engineered animals pose to the environment?

How can these be prevented or alleviated?

2. Which regulations for the development of genetically engineered animals should be

implemented? How can researched animals be protected during this process?

3. How can the International Community be kept up to date with the constant

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innovations and projects regarding this topic?

4. How can biodiversity preservation plans such as the Aichi Targets help the

incorporation of genetically engineered animals into society?

5. To what extent should the United Nations Environment Programme intevene in in the

proliferation of this type of technologies?

IX. CONFERENCE PREPARATION

A. RESEARCH

The success of your experience in VCSPMUN will depend heavily on how much preparation

you put in before the conference actually begins. Although research may not seem like the

most fun or exciting activity leading up to a conference, if you put in the necessary effort, it

will definitely pay off during the conference. You will be more knowledgeable, more

prepared, and more confident to deal with whatever comes your way. As you do your

research, you may want to keep a page of notes on key facts, figures, policies and other

important information. Bring a copy of your notes to the conference in order to use them as a

reference (bear in mind that electronic devices are not allowed during committee sessions).

B. POSITION PAPERS

A Position Paper is a policy statement in which delegates analyze and present their country’s

view on the issue being discussed, also focusing on past national and international actions in

order to propose innovative but viable solutions. Your position paper should always include a

heading with the title (“Position Paper”), your delegation (the country you are representing),

your committee (full name), the topic you are discussing (as stated in your study guide), your

full name and the name of your school. Additionally, a standard position paper is comprised

of three paragraphs:

• Your first paragraph should include a brief introduction to the topic, always

connecting the issue to your country. Try to include statistics, data and catchy phrases

that may apply. Always bear in mind that you should be focusing on answering the

question “Why is the issue relevant to my country?” and explain your country’s

situation and policy in relation to the issue.

• Your second paragraph should include a brief summary of past UN action related to

the issue being discussed, always expressing the opinion of your country in relation to

the measures that you are mentioning. Try to focus on which specific actions have had

an impact on your country, and explain how you believe that these measures can be

improved.

• Your third paragraph should focus on proposing solutions, always according to your

country’s policy. Try to be creative and propose original ideas that will help other

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delegates (and your dais) to remember your contribution to the debate. Finally, do not

forget to write a strong closing sentence.

Each delegation is responsible for submitting a Position Paper to

unep.vcspmun@prideperu.org by Tuesday, May 28th (11:59 pm). The general format of

Position Papers is one page long, single-spaced, with size 11 Times New Roman font. Please

make sure to cite every source that you use in your Position Paper.

C. RULES OF PROCEDURE

The Rules of Procedure will guide a delegate’s participation throughout the debate. They

contain the rules governing the debate, speeches, points and documents, as well as the rules

governing the vote. The Rules of Procedure have been sent to all delegations via e-mail.

Nevertheless, delegates shall bear in mind that the Secretariat and the Committee Directors

may provide variations to these rules.

D. WRITING RESOLUTIONS

The purpose of the debate, as stated in our philosophy, is to encourage you to develop

comprehensive and pragmatic solutions to the topic being discussed. These solutions should

be embodied in a document called a resolution. The process of drafting a resolution consists

of two main written stages: the Working Paper and the Draft Resolution. Working Papers are

a point of reference for discussion in committee that contain concrete ideas on the topic

under discussion. They do not require a specific format. In contrast, Draft Resolutions are a

formal document in which the committee determines the actions to be taken in order to solve

the problems under discussion. They have a specific format and must include a certain

number of signatories (this will be defined by the dais at the start of the debate).

X. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anthes, E. (2013). Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts. Scientific

American.

Biotechnology Innovation Organization. (n.d.). Genetically Engineered Animals: Frequently

Asked Questions. Obtained from https://www.bio.org/articles/genetically-engineered-

animals-frequently-asked-questions

European Food Safety Authority. (n.d.). Genetically Modified Animals. Obtained from

https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/genetically-modified-animals

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Goodwin, C. Anti-GMO protesters with signs about bees and food safety.

Hugo, K. (October 4th, 2017). Hulk-Like Double Muscke Mutant Pigs Being Bred on Farms in

Cambodia. Obtained from Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/gmo-gentically-modified-

pigs-super-hulk-muscle-can-you-eat-676988

Newsday. (March 22nd, 1991). The Baltimore Sun. Obtained from Animals become living

factories in Md. research: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-03-22-

1991081099-story.html

Macleod, M. Dolly meets the world’s media.

McWhir, J., Ritchie, W. A., Wilmut, I., & Campbell, K. H. (March 7th, 1996). Sheep cloned by

nuclear transfer from a cultured cell line. Nature: International Journal of Science .

McLaren, A. (June 9th, 2000). Cloning: Pathways to a Pluripotent Future. Science Magazine .

Mingst, K. (October 11th, 2013). United Nations Environmental Programme. Obtained from

Enciclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Environment-

Programme

Project, G. L. Countries with GMO prohibitions:.

Pursel, V. G., Pinkert, C. A., Miller, K. F., Bolt, D. J., Campbell, R. G., Palmiter, R. D., y otros.

(1989). Genetic engineering of livestock. Science Magazine , 244 (4910).

Taylor, D. A. (September, 2010). US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

Obtained from Laws, Regulations and Policy: Genetically Engineered Salmon on the FDA’s

Table: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2944109/

The Humane Society of The United States. (n.d.). Obtained from An HSUS Report: Welfare

Issues with Genetic Engineering and Cloning of Farm Animals :

https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/hsus-report-issues-genetic-

engineering-cloning-farm-animals.pdf

The National Academics of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. (2002). Animal

Biotechnology: Science-Based Concerns . The National Academies Press.

Williams, N. (March 18th, 2003). Death of Dolly marks cloning milestone. Obtained from

Science Direct: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982203001489

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XI. DISCLAIMER This background guide has been created by its authors for Promotora Internacional de

Debate (PRIDE Perú) and meant to be used exclusively for Villa Caritas & San Pedro Model

United Nations (VCSPMUN) 2019. The authors of this background guide claim no copyright

or any kind of intellectual property or legal right for the content of this document. However,

this document may not be distributed or reproduced without the express written consent of

its authors, unless used exclusively for educational purposes.