UAE president rejects IVF law

LAW REJECTED: The president of the UAE has rejected a draft law on in vitro fertilisation (IVF), citing discrimination concerns. (Getty Images)

The president of the UAE has rejected a draft law on in vitro fertilisation (IVF), citing discrimination concerns, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Wednesday.

Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan condemned a clause which stipulates that at least one Muslim IVF specialist be appointed among the staff of every IVF centre across the country as 'discriminatory', the Federal National Council was told on Tuesday.

"The clause not only contradicts international conventions which prohibits all forms of discrimination but also contravenes Article 25 of the UAE Constitution which states that all persons are equal before the law, without distinction between citizens of the union in regard to race, nationality, religious belief or social status," the newspaper quoted Sheikh Khalifa.

Freezing embryos requires a fatwa or a religious edict, so the later use of eggs would be better than embryos, he said.

The FNC decided to add a new article to the draft law to implement a supervisory committee that will ensure that all IVF centres are working in accordance with Islamic rules, teachings and ethics, the newspaper said.

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