PO Box 20203, Washington, D.C. 20041
2008 October
International Pressure to Change Pro-Life Laws
Pro-Abortion NGO: What to Expect from a Pro-Abortion US President
A policy paper from US NGO , Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), presents a very dire outlook for US support for life and family values if a pro-abortion president is elected. The paper entitled Making U.S. Foreign Assistance Work-Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights was recently issued with recommendations for a pro-abortion president that place reproductive health at the core of US foreign assistance policy and development efforts.
The report is critical of President Bush’s strong pro-life policies and restrictions and presents changes to integrate the wide spectrum of reproductive health and services— including abortion— into US foreign policy. It is counting on a pro-abortion majority in the US Congress to approve funding to “create new modalities for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.”
The paper states, “Sexual and reproductive health and rights advocates know that with a friendlier administration, we will be able to correct and eliminate restrictions on U.S. funding such as the Mexico City Policy and abstinence-until-marriage directives on global AIDS funding. There must also be automatic refunding of the UNFPA.”
The recommendations include funding for organizations (especially small, local organizations) that have an integrated program linking HIV prevention, population control, and maternal health. Such an approach would deny funding to faith based organizations and others that do not offer ‘the full range of services.’
The paper suggests that the US become more like Europe and join European donor countries’ efforts on economic development, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. It advises linking resources and creating partnerships with the efforts of these countries. Regrettably, many countries struggling to preserve pro-life laws and restrictions already experience considerable pro-abortion pressure from some European donor countries that link development funds with access to legal abortion.
In closing, the paper states, “The time for the United States to be a ‘superpower’ is over. Europe has stepped in to fill the decency gap the United States has created, and countries such as Brazil have adopted policies more progressive than ours. Future U.S. leadership should be tempered by collaboration. The United States might give the most money in dollar amounts, but we must give up being the unilateral decider of “morality.”
New Pro-Abortion Legal Strategy Declares Abortion Advocates and Abortionists Are Human Rights Defenders
Pro-abortion legal organizations including the Center for Reproductive Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International are pursuing a new abortion tactic that declares both abortion advocates and abortionists are “human rights defenders.” This convoluted argument falsely interprets the 1999 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
A non-binding thematic hearing on the topic Risks and vulnerabilities affecting defenders of women’s rights in the Americas was recently held by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at the request of the Center, Human Rights Watch, , CLADEM (radical feminist group in Latin America and the Caribbean) and MULABI (an NGO advocating for “gender rights”.) This latest action is another example of pro-abortion attempt to use the OAS Commission to advance their agenda.
The CLADEM representative asked for "special protection measures" to be issued by the Commission on behalf of abortion activists in Nicaragua. Human Rights Watch requested that activists for gender and abortion “rights’ be acknowledged as human rights defenders. In addition, Human Rights Watch requested additional discussion in the area of protection for “health care workers” especially those that work in women’s health—abortionists—and the recognition that they are human rights defenders.
Pro-life Actions
Uganda First Lady Questions Marie Stopes and USAID Denies It Funds
First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni, has demanded abortion performing Marie Stopes International explains its activities in the country. Alerted to Marie Stopes’ promotion and administration of abortion in Uganda by US lawmakers through the PNCI network, Mrs. Museveni said, “I want Marie Stopes to explain what they do in the villages.” Concern is raising not only about the use of the hand held abortion device, manual vacuum aspirator, but also about the use of Misoprostol tablets to induce abortion in violation of pro-life laws. Speaking at a Safe Motherhood Day event in Buwama, Mpigi district, Mrs. Museveni also called for improved healthcare, resources, and support for pregnant women in order to save lives. “The young people who get pregnant should be helped to produce instead of helping them to abort,” she said.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently issued a directive ending US funding to Marie Stopes International (MSI) population control programs in a number of African countries including: Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. The agency found MSI to be violating US law by participating in coercive abortions and involuntary sterilizations in China.
Legislative News
UK Parliament Passes Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill Amendment-free
The UK House of Commons has passed the highly controversial Human Fertilization and Embryology (HFE) bill. The legislation, which will permit the creation and destruction of cloned embryos, passed by a vote of 355-129. Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) national director John Smeaton called the passage “tragic” saying, “Future generations will look back on this macabre bill and wonder how a supposedly civilised nation could have so devalued human life.”
The final passage of the bill did not include any changes to the UK’s existing abortion law because the UK Health Secretary tabled a motion ending debate on abortion-related amendments to the Human Fertilization and Embryology bill.
Northern Ireland: Successful Pro-life Campaign Maintains Pro-life Policy
The passage of the HFE bill without any amendments to extend the UK Abortion Act to Northern Ireland was largely a result of the aggressive efforts by a coordinated pro-life campaign. Church leaders, pro-life groups, and MPs worked together to inform and educate the public, and lobby public officials against any initiatives to change Northern Ireland’s pro-life law. Precious Life Director Bernie Smith, who organized a well-attended ‘Rally for Life’ the Saturday before the vote, celebrated this exclusion stating, “ Westminster simply couldn't withstand this pro-life tidal wave coming from Northern Ireland”.
Northern Ireland’s law remains at risk however, pro-abortion MPs have pledged further debate on reforming UK’s abortion law and the pro-abortion campaign has threatened legal action on the grounds of discrimination in another attempt to bring legalized abortion to the North.
Australia: Victoria Votes For Abortion, Denies Doctors Conscience Rights
Victoria, Australia’s Upper House of Parliament has voted to legalize abortion-on-demand for up to 24 weeks gestation. The bill, which passed by a vote of 23 to 17, failed to include provisions that protect the conscience rights of physicians. Catholic Health Australia (CHA), which operates 15 hospitals in the state issued a statement declaring their inability to cooperate with the new law and, threatening legal action, warns that forcing doctors to act against their conscience violates the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006.
Lithuania: Conservative Election Victory Expected to Usher in New Pro-Life Law
The Lithuanian parliament is currently considering a bill to ban abortion. The Draft Act of the Republic of Lithuania on the Protection of Human Life in the Prenatal Stage would change the current law permitting abortion-on-demand for the first trimester to a law that outlaws abortion with a few exceptions for rape and life of the mother. The legislation is pending the review of the Health Committee and expected to be passed now that the conservative parties have won the elections.
Mexico : Abortion Debate on State Level, Sonora and Baja California Pass Pro-Life Amendment
The Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California have passed constitutional amendments protecting life. Sonora’s amendment, which passed with a 27 to 3 vote, states that “the state of Sonora protects the right to life, affirming that from the moment of fertilization it comes under the protection of the law…until natural death.” Similarly, Baja California’s amendment protects life “from conception to natural death, without exceptions.” The passage of these amendments is a response to Mexico City’s legalization of abortion last year, and the growing pro-abortion pressure on state legislators to follow suit and liberalize abortion laws.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the constitutionality of the legalization of abortion, the pro-abortion Social Democratic Party has called on legislators to pass laws legalizing abortion and announced 28 different legislatures would be introducing initiatives to legalize abortion. The National Action Party (PAN) is blocking pro-abortion action on the national level and in some states. “We are against initiatives to depenalize abortion, I insist, because we defend life and because we feel that that is not the way to address problems,” said PAN representative Javier Ponce.
Issues
India: Readily Available Morning-After Pill Results in Dangerous Regular Use
Doctors in India charge that the morning-after pill, made available over-the-counter in 2005, is being misused. The mass-produced and inexpensive “i-pill” as it is known, is readily available and often used on a dangerous regular basis by young people, some taking it 5-6 times a month. Many risks and side-effects of the morning-after pill require medical supervision and attention, yet without any regulation of the drug, women- often young women- are ignorant of these facts.
In August 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed over the counter sales of the drug but limited its use to women over 18 due to concerns that medical supervision is needed when taking the pill.
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The Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues (PNCI) is committed to networking members of democratically-elected legislatures in efforts to advance respect for the inherent value, worth, and inviolable dignity of every human being from the first moment of existence. PNCI issues the Parliamentary Network E-News to provide lawmakers, and those who work with them, news from various sources on the international threat to pro-life laws and current legislative and judicial actions on critical life issues challenging parliamentarians around the world. PNCI is a project of Life Issues Institute.
All news articles include links to original source. PNCI cannot verify that the information contained in the news articles is accurate. info@pncius.org
