Being a very controversial issue (due to religious, humanitarian, political grounds, etc.), it is illegal in certain countries like the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The United Nations after two years of debate voted in March 2005 to approve a non-binding global ban on all human cloning. The law wasn't binding because there was no unanimous verdict made by the members (84 agreed, 34 refused and 37 were absent]. The U.S. and many predominantly Catholic countries voted in favor, while the U.K. voted against this act. The main argument is:

Human cloning, even for therapeutic reasons, represents the taking of human life. [Catholic countries that oppose human cloning]

Many scientists, such as those of the Royal Society of England, lament the UN decision. However, since the ban is non-binding, scientists are free to pursue stem cell research unless local laws signify otherwise. Stem cell research has applications in in-vitro fertilization, cancer research among others.

A religious sect called Raelism believes that cloning is the first step in achieving immortality. The Raelian corporation Clonaid allegedly produced the first human clone, Eve (born: 27/12/2002). However, the general public has never seen the female baby, who was born by caesarian section in an unspecified location outside the United States. This news was delivered by Raelian scientist Brigitte Boisselier during a press conference in Florida.

Sources and Other Links of Interest:

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* The Royal Society of England: http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?id=1205 * The BBC News Story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4328919.stm * Cloning Laws & Public Policy: http://www.lib.msu.edu/skendall/cloning/laws.htm * Clonaid on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonaid