UN failes to legalize international right to abortion

The UN Headquarters in New York. Photo: Shutterstock

In New York, the 59th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development concluded without adopting a final document. The Vatican delegation, backed by other countries, opposed the text that contained formulations about the "right to abortion," reports LifeSiteNews. Commission Chairman Mr. Zéphyrin Maniratanga withdrew the draft resolution as participants failed to reach consensus.

Representatives of European countries insisted on including the concepts of "sexual and reproductive health" and "gender equality" in the document.

However, developing countries and the Vatican blocked this initiative. Pro-life organizations called the session's outcome a defense of national sovereignty and a victory over attempts by radical delegations to rewrite the 1994 international agreements.

Msgr. Marco Formica, on behalf of the Vatican mission, emphasized that the success of UN work depends on respect for the positions of sovereign states. According to him, excessive emphasis on reproductive rights distracts attention from real healthcare needs.

The Holy See representative added that interpreting health as a right to abortion violates moral norms and hinders the protection of mothers and unborn children.

The National Right to Life Committee also stated that the abortion lobby had effectively taked over the meeting hall with their agenda, ignoring consensus traditions.

The UN Commission failed to reach agreement in seven of the last ten sessions precisely due to disputes over abortion. Pro-life advocates called for future international law to be oriented toward supporting human life at all stages of its development.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the UN declared discrimination against the Estonian Orthodox Church.

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