The World Assembly,
Acknowledging that medical research should be conducted ethically,
Disappointed to find that GA#111 naïvely legislates such matters through well-intentioned but counterproductive and poorly-thought-out regulations,
Concerned by the lack of a definition for "medical research" in the target resolution, and by the ESTABLISHES clause’s requirement that "all prospective researchers" file documentation regarding their research to an Institutional Review Board (IRB), regardless of whether their work involves human subjects or even constitutes medical research, creating unnecessary burdens on studies that do not pose significant risks to sapient beings,
Alarmed that the requirement to disclose information which "accurately details the study" can harm the validity of studies where participants must be blinded to avoid subjective effects affecting the results, such as when a participant learns the specific outcome a drug is intended to affect and attempts to perform better on that measure, especially for psychological outcomes (such as happiness or extroversion) or those subject to large environmental influences (such as weight or cognitive performance),
Disturbed that the resolution rejects any research that might cause "significant physical or psychological damage," even when such risk is very low (such as surgeries), or is significantly smaller than existing treatments (such as experimental cancer therapies), or treats otherwise-terminal illnesses, therefore potentially blocking life-saving research,
Regretting the lack of any way to appeal IRB decisions to any higher body, even when they may be unjustified, and
Hoping that the World Assembly passes improved, well-informed legislation that protects the rights of study participants and safeguards them from ethical abuse while supporting legitimate research,
Hereby repeals GA#111 "Medical Research Ethics Act".
