Two Minutes to Midnight — What International Law Can Do about Genome Editing

Asian Journal of WTO & International Health Law and Policy, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 227-265, March 2019

40 Pages Posted: 30 Apr 2019

See all articles by Tsung-ling Lee

Tsung-ling Lee

Taipei Medical University ; Center for Biomedical Ethics

Date Written: March 29, 2019

Abstract

With its ability to transform the ecosystem, gene drives, a powerful genome-editing technology, poses nuanced regulatory challenges. In particular, gene drives can override the normal rule of inheritance, where the impacts of gene-drive modified organisms on the environment could be irreversible, leading to a permanent population change. Moreover, as these gene-drive modified organisms are designed to spread to large populations, they can also penetrate national and geographic borders, with global implications. Insofar as gene drive applications could be both potentially beneficial as well as hazardous to the world, this article seeks to explore ways in which international law could provide a useful platform to engage the relevant stakeholders in general, and encourage responsible science in specific.

Keywords: gene drives, responsible research and innovation, global administrative law, right to science and culture, public engagement, emerging technologies

Suggested Citation

Lee, Tsung-ling and Lee, Tsung-ling, Two Minutes to Midnight — What International Law Can Do about Genome Editing (March 29, 2019). Asian Journal of WTO & International Health Law and Policy, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 227-265, March 2019, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3362202 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3362202

Tsung-ling Lee (Contact Author)

Center for Biomedical Ethics ( email )

1E Kent Ridge Road
NUHS Tower Block Level 7
Singapore, 119228
Singapore

Taipei Medical University ( email )

250 Wu-Hsing Street
Taipei
Taipei, Taipei 110
Taiwan

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