Posted on 03/03/2005 10:44:29 AM PST by Pyro7480
US backing down in abortion row
The US has strongly hinted that it will drop its controversial demand to add anti-abortion language to a UN declaration on women's rights.
The issue has dominated a UN conference reviewing the declaration adopted at the 1995 women's conference in Beijing.
The US has been criticised by European and other delegates over its demand for an amendment stating specifically that abortion was not a human right.
But a US delegate has now suggested the change may not be necessary.
"Our original goal was to make sure that everyone involved knew what the original intent of the Beijing document was," said Richard Grenell, a spokesman for the US mission at the UN.
"We are hearing from many delegations that they agree with us and they advise us that the amendment is therefore not needed," he added.
'Signal'
The Beijing declaration called for governments to end gender discrimination in areas including education, health care, politics and employment.
The US administration has accused advocacy groups of trying to define the commitment to "reproductive health services" stated in the document as guaranteeing a right to abortion.
It wanted the 2005 review - being carried out at a two-week conference in New York - to reject this interpretation explicitly.
But the demand has been condemned by a number of delegates.
Nicole Ameline, the French minister in charge of women's rights, said it was "very important not to give the impression to the world that there is a step back or a reinterpretation of this issue".
She pointed out that the 1995 document did not refer to abortion as a right - but that specifically ruling this out would send a wrong signal.
About 100 government delegations and thousands of activists are involved in the Beijing declaration progress review.
Pro-life ping!
We're all in trouble when evil begins to back down good!
It's the BBC.
It's probably wrong.
Dan
The NY Times is reporting it too, so I don't know.
All we need now is Reuters, and we have a Trifecta of Evil!
Dan
United States Presses Ahead with Anti-Abortion Amendment at UN
Media reports that US is backing down are not correct
UNITED NATIONS, March 3, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Contrary to reports by the New York Times, Reuters and countless other news agencies, the United States is not backing down from its amendment to clarify that the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action do not call for the right to abortion.
At a press briefing this morning, Antonia Kirkland from the pro-abortion NGO Equality Now asked U.S. Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey, head of the U.S. delegation, if the US was withdrawing its amendment as reported by the New York Times. Ambassador Sauerbrey responded, “No.” She noted that the US would continue to work to pass the document to reaffirm the Beijing Declaration with its clarifying amendment.
Samantha Singson, a pro-life lobbyist at the United Nations representing Campaign Life Coalition, told LifeSiteNews.com that at a US NGO Caucus meeting, angry feminist activists hoped to force the US to withdraw its amendment by presenting a petitions signed by some 320 US organizations. They claimed that the US Ambassador did not represent her constituency and that the proposed US amendment did not represent the views of civil society.
However, in less than twelve hours the NGO pro-life and pro-family coalition was able to present over 800 letters from organizations around the world which support the US delegation’s amendment.
Austin Ruse of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Action League (C-Fam) noted that over 500,000 emails from over 50 countries have come into the various UN missions in support of the US amendment.
In her statement to the UN Commission on the Status of Women yesterday, Ambassador Sauerbrey was clear that the US concerns over abortion remained. “As colleagues in this meeting know, the United States has had concerns about efforts to mischaracterize the outcome documents of Beijing and Beijing+5 in creation of new international rights. It is clear that there was no intent on the part of States supporting the Beijing documents to create new rights . . . including the right to abortion,” she said.
She added, “The United States recognizes the International Conference on Population and Development principle that abortion policies are a matter of national sovereignty. And, we are pleased that so many other governments have indicated their agreement with this position.”
To send a letter of support for the US anti-abortion amendment email: usmission@gmail.com
See post #8.
"We are hearing from many delegations that they agree with us and they advise us that the amendment is therefore not needed," he added.
I'd be very careful concerning not including specific language that doesn't leave anything left to interpretation of things like "intent", or semantics. Our own history has shown that the pro-abortion judges have interpreted the Constitution differently than the founders "intent". What makes us think others in the world will not do the same thing? I'd vote for keeping language that leaves nothing to interpretation.
LOL, I even got Reuters right!
Yeah, I've just learned, if it's an outlet likt NYT/Reuters/WaPo/LAT or any of the other bobbleheads reporting a slam on Bush, I just wait a little while, and it turns out to be dead-wrong.
Like this time.
Dan
Abortion is legal here, let's not be hypocrates.
I doubt very seriesly that the President will back down on this. I think someone in the media is trying to stir up trouble.
The UN is a joke. They should make Wacko Jacko the head of it.
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