TORONTO, October 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Yesterday, the United Nations Population Fund released its annual report “State of the World Population 2005.” The Canadian launch of the report was held at a press conference in Toronto at the behest of the pro-abortion group Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD). The UN group’s annual report has become dry with the constantly regurgitated mantra of endorsing abortion and abortifacients under the guise of sexual and reproductive health and rights.Â
However far more interesting than the report were the comments of the UNFPA personality sent to headline the document’s Canadian launch. Yves Bergevin, UNFPA Senior Programme Adviser of the Africa Division, in the press conference which was recorded and webcast, said, “We take good care of spaceship earth.”ÂÂÂ
Bergevin went on to echo slogans of abortion advocates encouraging his listeners to “Imagine a world in 2015 if we got our development right where . . . every pregnancy is wanted.”
However even more interesting were the comments of Katherine McDonald, executive director of ACPD and former executive member of the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada. McDonald’s statement seemed to point to contraceptives as the answer to life, the universe and everything. “UNFPA has estimated that . . . For every one million dollar shortfall on funding for contraceptives there will be 360,000 unintended pregnancies, 150,000 induced abortions, 800 maternal deaths, 11,000 infant deaths and 14,000 deaths of children under five.”Â
McDonald added, apparently unaware of the hundreds of women who have died during botched abortions in Canada and the United States, “These consequences are totally preventable. Where women have access to reproductive health services they stop dying in child birth.”
Aidan Reid, National Affairs director for Campaign Life Coalition commented on the statement saying, “Well, to paraphrase Mark Twain, there are lies, damned lies, and then there’s the UNFPA. Throwing contraceptives at women in developing nations hasn’t worked at all, so it’s time to try something new – like decent maternal health care, nutrition, and clean drinking water.”
See the webcast of the UNFPA SWP2005 Toronto launch:
https://webcast.newswire.ca/archive/ACPD/acpd20051012.asf
See the SWP 2005 report:
https://www.unfpa.org/swp/index.htm
jhw