Center for Reproductive Rights gives briefings to UN bodies?

By Stefano Gennarini, J.D. | December 5, 2011

This is old news. It happened in May 2010 but it did not get any attention at the time.

Apparently, the Committee for Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, which monitors the implementation of the UN treaty by the same name, got briefed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on the issue of maternal mortality.

The CESCR committee’s report to ECOSOC in 2010 lists the activities of the Committee during that year. On 10 May 2010, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) briefed the Committee on maternal mortality. The list of speakers included a committee member, someone from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), someone else from UNFPA, another person from the OHCHR, AND… Ms. Ximena Andión Ibañez, Center for Reproductive Rights, International Advocacy Director.

Since when do UN bodies receive briefings from such partisan advocacy groups? The CRR can hardly be considered a source of independent experts. In fact, they are masters at misinformation, and a cursory glance at their website will show that. Is anyone else surprised?

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