GENEVA, April 14, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Human Rights Commission convention in Geneva continues this week, with pro-family groups awaiting the results of votes on a number of key issues. Although Brazil dropped its resolution to introduce “sexual orientation” as an inalienable right protected by the U.N. charter, there is still the possibility that a delegation from another country, perhaps Sweden, will re-introduce this proposition later in the proceedings. Pro-life representatives at the convention credit the outpouring of opposition to Brazil’s resolution as the reason for its earlier demise. Also, pro-life groups at the convention are working tirelessly to exclude the recommendations of Paul Hunt who stated in his report, “The rights to sexual and reproductive health had an indispensable role to play in the struggle against poverty, HIV/AIDS, gender inequality and intolerance.” See the April 1 on LifeSiteNews.com story on this at https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/apr/04040104.html. The pro-life groups are calling for a dismissal of Hunt’s report in its entirety.
True to form, the Canadian delegation is working hard to maintain Hunt’s rhetoric and allusions to abortion language within the report. The vote on the resolution is scheduled for Friday.
Finally, there is currently a drive that the commission specifically include “health care services” into a Violence Against Women resolution. Pro-life groups are rallying to have this resolution overturned, as the inclusion of the term is a not-so-thinly veiled attempt to include the denial of access to abortion as an act of “violence” against women. Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage, “UN Human Rights Commission Battle on Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health Expected to Begin Next Tuesday in Geneva,” at: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/apr/04040603.html Also see Paul Hunt’s complete report with the innocuous sounding title “The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health” at: https://www.unhchr.ch/pdf/chr60/49AV.pdf