Biden State Department Reinstates Abortion in Annual Human Rights Report

By and Lisa Correnti | April 14, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. April 15 (C-Fam) On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State released its annual country report on human rights practices 2021.  The pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights welcomed the 2021 report, saying it demonstrates U.S. “commitment to upholding sexual and reproductive rights as human rights.”

The inclusion of a section on “reproductive rights” in the country reports began under the Obama administration, and was removed under former President Trump, only to be reinstated by President Biden.

The “reproductive rights” section draws on data from sources including UN agencies like the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund, which have characterized access to abortion as a human right. Pro-abortion Human Rights Watch is also cited as a source.

Human Rights Watch credited the State Department for demonstrating “a greater understanding of reproductive rights than in any previous reporting.” The group complains that some countries allow for medical personnel to invoke conscientious objection in order to avoid having to perform abortions. Poland, among others, was specifically cited for allowing conscientious objection.

The country reports include descriptions of national laws that can be considered pro-life. The implication is clear that the U.S. State Department, at least under President Biden, considers abortion a human right.

Human Rights Watch, that also advocates for homosexual/trans issues, also criticized the State Department for not “addressing healthcare challenges for adolescents and trans and non-binary birthing people.”

The State Department has cited Human Rights Watch, particularly with regard to homosexual/trans issues, in their country reports for several years, including under the Trump administration.  Other sources include groups such as OutRight International and ILGA, which are very active at the UN.

While the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as human rights categories remains highly controversial internationally, the State Department included Hungary’s laws restricting the “promotion” or “portrayal” of “gender reassignment” and homosexuality to children under the heading “Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.”

At the launch of the reports, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke of the universality of human rights for everyone, “rights no matter what they believe, whom they love, or any other characteristics.”

He stated that economic, social, and cultural rights, such as health services “including reproductive health” are “just as critical to advancing human rights as defending freedom of expression and assembly,” which are civil and political rights.  The U.S. has never ratified a binding human rights treaty on economic, social, and cultural rights, though it has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The press discussion was dominated by the conflict in Ukraine. One question was raised regarding LGBT issues, contrasting the U.S.’s promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad while states are increasingly restricting medical gender transition for minors and teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation to young students.

Lisa Peterson, Acting Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, acknowledged that the U.S. is “grappling” with human rights issues at home, but that her department “do[es] not have a mandate to do a report on our own circumstances.”

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