The United States has dismayingly joined some other countries in support of an anti-abortion statement at the United Nations.
The Geneva Consensus Declaration, which was co-sponsored by Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Uganda and, sadly, the United States, asserts “the essential priority of protecting the right to life” and that “there is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of states to finance or facilitate abortion.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved of the document by stating that the United States “has defended the dignity of human life everywhere and always.”
Many of the 33 countries throwing their weight behind the document have authoritarian governments that do not uphold human rights. For example, Uganda, a co-sponsor, actively seeks to criminalize the LGBTQ+ community. Poland, a signatory, recently outlawed abortion in nearly all instances, igniting protests all across the nation. Indeed, the United States is the only country to sign the declaration that ranks higher than 95th on Georgetown University’s Women, Peace and Security Index.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a U.S. NGO representing 33,000 members that works to keep religion out of government, condemns this anti-science, anti-woman declaration. Abortion is a safe and effective procedure that is a human right. As a secular nation, the United States should safeguard abortion from unscientific restrictions. Instead, it has appallingly chosen to give its backing to an extremely dubious document.