The Human Rights Committee (HRC) during its 144th session monitoring country compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
again used the review period to blast country's pro-life laws and
promote the highly disproven argument that the legalization of abortion
is needed to save women's lives while ignoring world wide data that
demonstrates global deaths from illegal abortion have fallen to a record
low of 47,000 worldwide in 2013.
The
HRC, acting more like a pro-abortion activist NGO than a human rights
treaty monitoring body, used a selective interpretation of Article 6 of
the treaty which states "Every
human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be
protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life" as it criticized pro-life laws, policies and actions in Spain, Venezuela,
Northern Ireland, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
In
each instance, sovereignty was ignored including as the HRC took aim at
efforts in Spain in February 2015 to enact parental consent for
abortion laws claiming that such measures "could increase illegal abortions and jeopardize the life and health of women". It instructed Spain enacting laws restricting access to abortion stating that it "should
ensure that all women and girls can access reproductive health services
in all regions of the country and no legal barriers force women to
resort to clandestine abortion that puts their lives and health at
risk."
In like manner, it recommended that Venezuela
"amend its legislation to provide for exceptions to the general
prohibition of all non-therapeutic abortion and ensure that women do not
resort to illegal unsafe abortions that could endanger their lives and
health."
During review of the United Kingdom (UK), the HRC was critical of pro-life laws in Northern Ireland stating, "The
Committee is concerned about the highly restricted circumstances in
which termination of pregnancy is permitted under the law in Northern
Ireland, and about the severe criminal sanctions for unlawful
abortion.." and recommended:
"The
State party should, as a matter of priority, amend its legislation on
abortion in Northern Ireland with a view to providing for additional
exceptions to the legal ban on abortion, including in cases of rape, incest, and fatal fetal abnormality. The State party should also ensure access to information on abortion, contraception and sexual and reproductive health options."
The
HRC not only appears opposed to all laws regulating abortion but also
expressed disdain for a pro-life ad campaign sponsored by the government
of former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as it stated: "The
Committee is concerned about reports that the State party conducted
anti-abortion campaigns over a number of years which has had the effect
of stigmatizing those who avail of abortion." These
"reports" referred to by the HRC were issued by pro-abortion NGOs
working in Macedonia including the local IPPF affiliate and included the
following NGO view: "We
have grave concerns that, given the government campaign advocating
against abortion, the mandatory counselling regulated in the Rule Book
is likely to be biased and intended to dissuade women who have decided
to terminate their pregnancy."
The pro-life ads that were reported to be "stigmatizing those who avail of abortion" focused on development of the preborn child as well as presenting the life ending decision of abortion and included an ad on the fact that Beethoven was not aborted.
The opposition of the HRC to public messages to "Choose Life" in Macedonia included the instruction to the government to "avoid pursuing any further campaigns used to stigmatize those who avail of abortion." No
congratulatory word was issued to Macedonia for its efforts to
discourage women from resorting to abortion and denying their children
their inherent right to life.
The HRC was also critical of the Law on Termination of Pregnancy of 2013 which it stated "may cumulatively limit access to legal abortion."
Macedonia was also told to "take concrete measures, including amending the Law on Termination of Pregnancy, to eliminate all procedural barriers" to legal abortion.
The government responded by stating the intent of the law is to protect women's health: "...the
Law on Termination of Pregnancy envisages compulsory counselling for
women about possible risks deriving from termination of pregnancy, i.e.
women are to be properly informed about the consequences for their
health that could possibly arise from the termination of
pregnancy...Women have the right to free choice, but also they have the
right to be informed about possible consequences that could arise after
the termination of pregnancy, having also the right to be informed what
is to be undertaken at certain stages in order that they protect their
health."
PNCI
notes the continued complete disregard for national sovereignty by the
HRC in regards to laws on abortion as acknowledged in the "ICPD caveat"-
recognition of the right of national and local legislators to determine
abortion policy. All documents related to the HRC session can be found
on the website under the corresponding country flag.