European Union Opposes U.S. Declaration That Right to Abortion Not Established in 1995 U.N. Women's Rights Platform

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 03 Mar 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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Diplomats from the 25-nation European Union on Tuesday at a... United Nations review of the Fourth World Conference on Women announced opposition to a U.S. amendment that would clarify that the 1995 conference platform does not include a right to abortion or create any new international human rights, the AP/Canada.com reports (AP/Canada.com, 3/1). Participants at the 1995 Beijing conference adopted a platform stating that abortion should be safe in places where it is legal and that criminal charges should not be filed against any woman who undergoes an illegal abortion. The platform also stated that women have the right to "decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality ... free of coercion, discrimination and violence." Ahead of this year's review, the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women -- which organized the two-week meeting expected to be attended by delegates from more than 100 countries and more than 6,000 women's rights advocates -- proposed a declaration asking the participating countries to reaffirm progress toward the Beijing platform. However, Bush administration representatives said the United States would not sign on to the declaration because of concerns that the platform classified legal abortion as a human right and on Friday proposed an amendment that would reaffirm U.S. commitment to the platform and declaration "while reaffirming that they do not create any new international human rights and that they do not include the right to abortion." As of Monday, diplomats from Egypt, Qatar and Vatican City had indicated support for the U.S. amendment. The final declaration is expected to be put before delegates on Friday, according to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Ellen Sauerbrey (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 3/1).

E.U. Opposition
Luxembourg's Minister for Equal Opportunities Marie-Josee Jacobs, speaking on behalf of the European Union, at Tuesday's session said E.U. member nations support a "full, unequivocal and universal reaffirmation" of the Beijing platform and for the "agreed conclusions" of the commission's sessions in 1995. Nicole Ameline, France's minister for parity and equality in the workplace, at a press conference on Tuesday said that "any attempt" to change the declaration's reaffirmation of the Beijing platform could be seen as "a step backward" for women's rights, the AP/Canada.com reports (AP/Canada.com, 3/1). "It is a question of perception," Ameline said, adding, "It is very important not to give the impression to the world that there is a step back or a reinterpretation of this issue." Emyr Jones Parry, the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United Nations, said that the European Union would be working for an "unequivocal reaffirmation of Beijing without reservation" (Reuters, 3/1).

NGOs Oppose U.S. Amendment
More than 150 nongovernmental organizations on Tuesday issued a statement opposing the U.S. amendment, AFP/Expatica.com reports. "We, representatives of civil society organizations from all regions of the world, celebrate the historic achievement for women's human rights that the platform represents," the statement said, adding, "In this light, we urge government delegations to oppose unequivocally the amendment to the draft declaration proposed by the United States" (AFP/Expatica.com, 3/1). "It's the U.S. that's injecting abortion into the declaration," June Zeitlin, president of the Women's Environment & Development Organization, said, adding, "Once again, they're going it virtually alone and disregarding the global consensus in favor of women's human rights and reaffirming the Beijing platform." Sauerbrey said that the United States would be working with other countries "in trying to arrive at language that we're comfortable with or a position that we're comfortable with" (AP/Canada.com, 3/1).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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