The pro-life movement made history at the United Nations with the signing of the Geneva Consensus Declaration just over a week ago on October 22. This groundbreaking document, officially titled “The Geneva Consensus Declaration on Protecting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family”, defies attempts of the UN body to create an international right to abortion, and defends the right of national sovereignty from attempts to impose abortion on member states.
The effort of drafting this document, first spearheaded by United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, was originally scheduled for signing at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. It took many months to formulate a strong pronouncement intended to counter the UN’s pro-abortion agenda. Finally, it was signed by a total of 32 nations in a virtual ceremony, keeping with COVID-19 social-distancing protocol.
At the ceremony, representatives from several signatory states, including Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, and Uganda, spoke in praise of the Declaration. It boldly states: “There is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion, consistent with the long-standing international consensus that each nation has the sovereign right to implement programs and activities consistent with their laws and policies.”
The significance of such a declaration cannot be understated. For the first time, a firm coalition of governments is committed to defending life in the international community. Too many times, the United States has been one of a lonely few nations speaking out against the redefinition of sexual and reproductive health on the international stage. Multilateral support is vital for maintaining legitimacy and un-writing the false narrative which depicts the U.S. imposing values arbitrarily on foreign bodies. In garnering support from 32 member states, the Declaration lays a foundation for future pro-life progress at the U.N.
Furthermore, the Declaration paves the way for the pro-life movement to reclaim “sexual and reproductive health” terminology. It explicitly encourages support for women’s healthcare, universal healthcare, and SRH (sexual reproductive health) while maintaining that abortion can never be used as a matter of family planning. Including SRH and women’s healthcare in a pro-life message sets a precedent for use of these terms in future international agreements without connoting a right to abortion. The document’s clear assertion that healthcare and abortion are mutually exclusive is a step toward delegitimizing the distorted definitions of U.N. abortion advocates.
Cementing this assertion, the Declaration quotes from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Beijing platform, and ICPD conference at Cairo, naming the family as the core unit of society which is entitled to fundamental protection by society and the state. Using agreed-upon language further legitimizes the pro-life message of the Declaration enshrined in the founding article of the U.N., and in stark contrast with U.N. abortion advocacy sustained through every international consensus.
The Geneva Consensus Declaration is undoubtedly a sign of hope for the pro-life movement around the world. Its signing is especially timely, coinciding with several recent abortion pushes in the international community, including Amnesty International’s extension of abortion approval up to birth and the U.K’s call for abortion inclusion in the U.S.’s “Global Call to Action on Women’s Economic Empowerment.” The document has been left open for additional state signatures; may the rest of the world join in affirming life and dignity across all borders.
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