Canada Dumping Tens of Millions into Controversial United Nations Population Control Agency

OTTAWA, November 29, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Canada is increasing its contribution to the controversial United Nations population control arm UNFPA.  The Toronto Star reports today that the official announcement of the increased funding will come during the visit of President Bush to Canada, and will be an indication of Canada’s “independence”.  For the past three years the Bush Administration has denied the UNFPA funding, due to the organization’s collusion with China’s coercive one-child program.  Nonetheless, Canada is set to announce a $67 million increase (over four years) to its annual $13.1 million UNFPA contribution.  To determine the extent of UNPFA’s involvement with the Chinese coercive one-child program, the US sent an investigation team to China.  Explaining the findings, then Secretary of State Colin Powell explained that “UNFPA’s support of, and involvement in, China’s population-planning activities allows the Chinese government to implement more effectively its program of coercive abortion.”  The investigative team sent to China in May 2002 found, for instance, that UNFPA works in one county in which women who have more than one child must pay a “social compensation fee,” a penalty sometimes as high as three years worth of income. Such “crushing fines”, said Powell, constitute a “program of coercive abortion” since they “have the purpose or effect of forcing mothers to have abortions.” According to Powell, “UNFPA is helping improve the administration of the local family planning offices that are administering the very social compensation fee and other penalties that are effectively coercing women to have abortions.”  Of note, the Toronto Star, in its coverage, quotes the same State Department report, but conveniently leaves out the condemning sections choosing only the portion of the report where it suggests UNFPA is not “knowingly” cooperating in forced abortion. While other parts of the report demonstrate that UNFPA is indeed cooperating in the program of forced abortion, the Toronto Star quotes only the sentence: “Based on what we heard, saw, and read, we find no evidence that UNFPA has knowingly supported or participated in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization in the (People’s Republic of China). Indeed, UNFPA has registered its strong opposition to such practices.”  Campaign Life Coalition, the political arm of the pro-life movement in Canada expressed outrage at the move.  CLC International Affairs Officer Samantha Singson said, “It is shocking and disgraceful that the Canadian government should approve any increase in funding to the UNFPA without making any of its own efforts to investigate allegations of UNFPA’s involvement in forced abortions and sterilizations in China.”  Read the Toronto Star coverage:  https://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1101682208688&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&DPL=JvsODSH7Aw0u%2bwoRO%2bYKDSblFxAk%2bwoVO%2bYODSbhFxAg%2bwkRO%2bUPDSXiFxMh%2bwkZO%2bUCDSTmFxIk%2bw8RO%2bMKDSPkFxUj%2bw8UO%2bMNDSPgFxUv%2bw8YO%2bILDSLkFxQh1w%3d%3d&tacodalogin=yes   jhw