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UN Population Fund Still Denies but in Fact Very Much Does Fund Abortion Advocacy

Of UNFPA’s three focus areas, two stress reproductive rights

By Samantha Singson

NEW YORK, September 27, 2007 (C-FAM.org) - The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and its supporters around the world repeatedly deny that UNFPA supports abortion in any way shape or form. UNFPA critics believe this is hard to square with UNFPA programs and program partners.

The latest evidence of UNFPA's involvement in the promotion of abortion comes in the annual report of the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), a non-profit pro-abortion law firm located in New York which is active in trying to change abortion laws around the world. According to the Center's most recent annual report, UNFPA was one of their largest financial contributors last year, donating as much as $50,000.

CRR has been one of the most active and effective abortion lobbying organizations internationally. In 2006 alone, the CRR was involved in 22 cases in the US and abroad on the abortion issue, including the overturning of Colombia’s ban on abortion in 2006. According to their annual report, CRR has been involved in cases that include abortion bans, access to abortion, restrictions on minors, mandatory delays before procuring abortions, as well as cases involving regulation of abortion providers.

Apart from its contribution to CRR last year, UNFPA gave the International Planned Parenthood Federation over $160,000 in 2005.  International Planned Parenthood Federation is one of the largest and richest abortion providers and advocacy groups in the world.

UNFPA has also been directly involved in national abortion debates. UNFPA, in concert with other international institutions, attempted to intervene in Nicaragua’s abortion debate, sending a letter to the national assembly last year asking the government to reconsider its total ban on abortions.

In Africa, UNFPA was instrumental in helping draft the controversial Maputo Plan of Action, which contains specific advocacy goals and targets regarding “unsafe abortion.”  UNFPA executive director Thoraya Obaid has already stated that the Maputo Plan of Action would be the basis for its programmatic actions in Africa.

Earlier this month the US delegation to the UN questioned Obaid on UNFPA’s abortion advocacy. During discussions of UNFPA’s proposed strategic plan, the US delegation stated, “We note that of UNFPA’s three focus areas, two stress reproductive rights. It is our understanding that UNFPA is neutral on the abortion issue, and thus should not be engaging on advocacy relating to abortion legalization.”

Obaid responded that UNFPA does not address the question of legalization of abortion, as it is a national matter, to be determined by national governments. He  stressed that UNFPA operates according to the guiding principle of the agreements reached at the 1994 Cairo conference on Population and Development, “where abortion is not against the law, it should be safe.”

UNFPA supporters in the US government have parroted Obaid’s denials and maintain that the organization is innocent of these allegations. In a letter obtained by the Friday Fax, in response to questions from a constituent regarding UNFPA Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) stated, “You are misinformed as to the workings of UNFPA. UNFPA does not provide support for abortions or abortion-related activities anywhere in the world.”  Dingell has advocated for the reinstatement of US funding for UNFPA.

The United States recently decided to withhold UNFPA funding for the sixth straight year. The US began withholding its donation in 2002 upon receiving evidence that UNFPA was complicit in China’s brutal one-child policy.

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