Applause Marks Bush Administration Support for Family
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 1, 2001 (LSN.ca) – As the preparatory sessions for the UN Children’s Special Session scheduled for September got underway in New York, the Bush Administration signaled a major change in focus. Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute reported that today Ambassador Michael Southwick, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, veered sharply from previous US policy on the question of parents and the family.
C-Fam notes that Clinton Administration negotiators tended to fight mention of the family and were the leading forces against the rights of parents in UN documents. However, Southwick said this morning, “The last decade has also revealed new challenges” including “the erosion of parental authority.” The right kind of document he said “would help countries, communities, and their civil society partners decide how best to improve the situation of children and families.” Southwick urged that the new document should emphasize “the vital role the family plays in the upbringing of children.”
Both governmental delegates and lobbyists cheered at the conclusion of Southwick’s remarks.
It has been requested that pro-lifers email President Bush and thank him for his administration’s pro-family speech at the UN Child Summit today: [email protected] (with files from C-Fam)