Defending the Unborn at the U.N. Human Rights Council

Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states, “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law.”

However, as we recently reported, the U.N. Human Rights Committee is attempting to revise its General Comment on Article 6 to now include support for abortions and euthanasia. The current draft forbids States from introducing “burdensome requirements on women seeking to undergo abortions,” and provides that States “must provide safe access to abortion.”

This is quite literally an attempt to rewrite the “Right to life” to be the right to kill unborn babies.

This past week, through our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), we delivered an oral intervention at the 36th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council on behalf of the unborn:

The ECLJ would like to alert Member States to the current attempt to create a universal right to abortion.

Indeed, the Human Rights Committee, in its last Draft General Comment on Article 6 on the Right to life, is trying to impose the legalization of abortion and euthanasia against the will of State Parties, against the letter of the text, and in contradiction with its mandate.

The Draft fails to mention the right to life of the unborn child, and presses States to legalize abortion on demand and without limitations. Any limit on abortion is seen by the Committee as a potential violation of women’s rights.

As to euthanasia, the Committee is openly promoting assisted suicide.

It is absurd and unacceptable to draw from the right to life a “right to kill an innocent human being” or a “right to be killed.”

The ECLJ must remind the Committee that its job is to interpret the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, not to create new rights or obligations.

Article 6 was never intended to give ground to the idea that the life of the unborn is not worthy of protection; quite the contrary.

Interpreting the article in a way that creates a right to abortion violates both the Covenant and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

The ECLJ invites State-Parties and the Committee to reaffirm the right to life, the most precious one, is to be promoted for every human being from conception to natural death.

As always, we are aggressively advocating for life across the globe. Life is precious.  It is endowed by our Creator. We believe the first right of every human is life. We cannot allow the U.N. to redefine the right to life as a right to kill.

As we recently explained, “Now we have an opportunity – and a responsibility – to act. The ACLJ, along with our international affiliates, have been asked to submit critical legal filings at the U.N. to defend the lives of unborn babies. This is the most critical U.N. filing for life we’ve ever made.”

In just a matter of weeks, we will directly make our legal filing to the U.N. Human Rights Committee. Take action with us. Be a voice for the defenseless.