Russia Joins Global Pro-Life Initiative

By | October 28, 2021

Commemoration of the Geneva Consensus Declaration in Washington

WASHINGTON DC, October 29 (C-Fam) It was announced on Capitol Hill today that the Russian government has joined the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Women’s Health and Protection of the Family. To mark the historic pro-life agreement’s one-year anniversary Congressional pro-life leaders introduced a resolution to affirm the declaration principles.

“When other nations or international agencies interject unhealthy and harmful policies upon you that compromise life, family, and your own sovereignty —they must be challenged,” said Valerie Huber, president of the Institute for Women’s Health which hosted an event to mark the first anniversary of the declaration in the Kennedy Room of the Russell Senate building.

The pro-life agreement was the first time that a broad coalition of countries jointly rejected attempts by the United Nations to promote abortion as an international right.

Senator Steve Daines provides remarks at event celebrating Geneva Consensus Declaration.

Huber, the architect of the Geneva Consensus Declaration under the Trump administration, stressed that these policy debates “should be handled at the country level, not the international level.”

While announcing two new signatories to the declaration, the Russian Federation and Guatemala, Huber said that the declaration “is alive and it is growing.” The Russian Federation’s commitment to the declaration was made public for the first time. Guatemala’s President announced his country’s in mid-October.

“What happened last year was historic,” Huber said.

The Geneva Consensus Declaration launched in October 2021, was originally co-sponsored by the United States, Hungary, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia and Uganda and joined by 32 countries.

The coalition has since grown to 36 countries, even though President Biden withdrew the United States from the agreement and asked other countries to stop supporting it early in his administration.

The declaration promotes women’s health based on authentic human rights and respect for the sovereignty of states to legislate on abortion without external interference from the United Nations or powerful countries.

The agreement affirms that “there is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of states to finance or facilitate abortion.” It also recognizes the centrality of the family as the “natural and fundamental group unit of society” and commits countries to protection of the family in line with international law.

The commemorative event was honorably co-chaired by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Jim Lankford (R-OK), and Congressmen Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Jim Banks (R-IN). Members of Congress, and Parliamentarians and Diplomats from signatory countries attended.

“The coalition is the most powerful and most effective way to give a voice to the silent global majority of billions of people who support life and family,” said Senator Daines, the founder and chairman of the Senate pro-life caucus.

Senators Daines and Lankford introduced a concurrent resolution to celebrate the first anniversary of the agreement and affirm its core commitments to protect life and strengthen the family.

The resolution “applauds the signatory countries for their dedication to advancing women’s health, protecting life at every stage while affirming that there is no international right to abortion, and upholding the importance of the family as foundational to society.”

The resolution notes “longstanding Federal laws that prohibit the United States from conducting or funding abortions, abortion lobbying, or coercive family planning in foreign countries remain in effect” and commits Members of Congress to “conduct oversight” of the Executive Branch.

It concludes urging “signatory countries to defend the universal principles affirming life and the family.” The resolution has 14 Senate co-sponsors and its companion measure lead by Congressman Banks has 29 House colleagues supporting it.

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