European Union Backs UN Resolution to Make Abortion a Human Right
by Stefano Gennarini JD, C-Fam:
The European Union is stealthily backing a UN resolution to declare a human right to “safe abortion.”
Countries are negotiating a resolution that has language calling on states to promote “the human rights of all women” including through “safe abortion where such services are permitted by national law.” While the language is ambiguous on the exact legal status of abortion in international law, it would squarely put abortion under the category of international human rights in a General Assembly resolution for the first time.
Japan has been coordinating negotiations of the resolution for over a month, but insiders have told the Friday Fax that the European Union delegation is behind the initiative and is not taking a leading role to be free to negotiate more aggressively and let Japan play the role of moderator.
Until now no UN resolution has ever considered abortion a human rights issue. The only times abortion has been mentioned in non-binding UN resolutions is with a caveat giving due regard to national legislation or referring to the International Conference on Population and Development. These caveats ensured that abortion could not be considered a human rights issue, and that every country should adopt its own abortion laws without international agencies meddling in their internal affairs, but they are increasingly being challenged by new ambiguities introduced in UN resolutions by Western delegations.
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