World Health Assembly includes reproductive health in COVID-19 resolutions,
United States opposes
NEW YORK, May 22 (C-Fam) Earlier this week, health ministers from around the world adopted a resolution on health policies in response to the pandemic at the World Health Assembly of COVID-19 including “sexual and reproductive health”. The United States opposed the insertion of the expression and rejected the concept of international abortion law.
“There is no international law on abortion, nor is there an obligation on the part of states to finance or facilitate abortion,” said a written note submitted by the United States in form of formal reservation during the very first virtual meeting
of the governing body of the World Health Organization.
American policy supports “the highest attainable level of health, life, dignity, and well-being throughout their lives” and “quality care for women and girls at all stages of their lives ”, According to the reservations expressed by the USA, but surely not abortion.
In this statement, the United States government rejected two paragraphs from the World Health Assembly resolution on COVID-19 because they included the phrase "sexual and reproductive health".
We do not accept references to “sexual and reproductive health” or any expression which would suggest or imply explicitly that access to abortion is included in the provision of good quality health services to populations and individuals. ” Can we read on the statement.
While the paragraphs recognize that health policies and laws are the responsibility of states, the inclusion of ambiguous expressions such as “sexual and reproductive health” in UN resolutions still provides UN agencies the possibility of promoting abortion,
as WHO regularly does and as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic .
“The United States believes in the legal protections of the unborn child” can be read in this statement.
The US reservation clause also echoed President Donald Trump's statement to the general assembly in 2019, “Americans will never tire of defending innocent lives” and blamed UN bodies for promoting the abortion as a human right
and to pressure countries to remove legal restrictions on abortion. ”
“In the end, the United States did a great job of advancing pro-life ideas at the WHO general assembly,” Scott Fischbach, executive director of the Minnesota Citizens Association, told Friday Fax. concerned with life.
Although the position of the United States was not retained, “sexual and reproductive health” having been included in the resolution, Mr. Fischbach stressed that “the United States has vigorously positioned itself in favor of lifelong negotiations on the resolution. ”
The emphasis in the American declaration against the obligation to finance abortion is new. It is a reaction to pressure from UN bodies and European countries for the US government to allow the funding of abortion in humanitarian emergencies such as natural disasters and war.
The United States is the largest individual contributor to WHO, contributing one-fifth of the Organization's budget to $ 420 million in 2019.
Federal law prohibits US aid abroad from being used to perform abortions or to compel anyone to have an abortion. This law, known as the Helms Amendment, was first passed in 1973 and applies to all aid overseas, including emergency aid for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal law also prohibits the actions of international organizations, such as the WHO, promoting or opposing abortion. President Trump implemented and extended the Mexico City Policy to prevent foreign non-governmental organizations
that practice and promote abortion from receiving any U.S. financial aid abroad.
Earlier this week, in a powerful letter , Acting Director of the US Agency for International Development, John Barsa accuses Secretary General Antonio Guterres of promoting abortion, and appears to be announcing a more aggressive stance from the Trump administration
in defense of pro-life American laws and policies in the diplomatic arena.
“There is no international law on abortion, nor is there an obligation on the part of states to finance or facilitate abortion,” said a written note submitted by the United States in form of formal reservation during the very first virtual meeting
of the governing body of the World Health Organization.
American policy supports “the highest attainable level of health, life, dignity, and well-being throughout their lives” and “quality care for women and girls at all stages of their lives ”, According to the reservations expressed by the USA, but surely not abortion.
In this statement, the United States government rejected two paragraphs from the World Health Assembly resolution on COVID-19 because they included the phrase "sexual and reproductive health".
We do not accept references to “sexual and reproductive health” or any expression which would suggest or imply explicitly that access to abortion is included in the provision of good quality health services to populations and individuals. ” Can we read on the statement.
While the paragraphs recognize that health policies and laws are the responsibility of states, the inclusion of ambiguous expressions such as “sexual and reproductive health” in UN resolutions still provides UN agencies the possibility of promoting abortion,
as WHO regularly does and as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic .
“The United States believes in the legal protections of the unborn child” can be read in this statement.
The US reservation clause also echoed President Donald Trump's statement to the general assembly in 2019, “Americans will never tire of defending innocent lives” and blamed UN bodies for promoting the abortion as a human right
and to pressure countries to remove legal restrictions on abortion. ”
“In the end, the United States did a great job of advancing pro-life ideas at the WHO general assembly,” Scott Fischbach, executive director of the Minnesota Citizens Association, told Friday Fax. concerned with life.
Although the position of the United States was not retained, “sexual and reproductive health” having been included in the resolution, Mr. Fischbach stressed that “the United States has vigorously positioned itself in favor of lifelong negotiations on the resolution. ”
The emphasis in the American declaration against the obligation to finance abortion is new. It is a reaction to pressure from UN bodies and European countries for the US government to allow the funding of abortion in humanitarian emergencies such as natural disasters and war.
The United States is the largest individual contributor to WHO, contributing one-fifth of the Organization's budget to $ 420 million in 2019.
Federal law prohibits US aid abroad from being used to perform abortions or to compel anyone to have an abortion. This law, known as the Helms Amendment, was first passed in 1973 and applies to all aid overseas, including emergency aid for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal law also prohibits the actions of international organizations, such as the WHO, promoting or opposing abortion. President Trump implemented and extended the Mexico City Policy to prevent foreign non-governmental organizations
that practice and promote abortion from receiving any U.S. financial aid abroad.
Earlier this week, in a powerful letter , Acting Director of the US Agency for International Development, John Barsa accuses Secretary General Antonio Guterres of promoting abortion, and appears to be announcing a more aggressive stance from the Trump administration
in defense of pro-life American laws and policies in the diplomatic arena.
