UN Special Rapporteur says Criminal Laws and Legal Restrictions on Abortion are a Violation of the Right to Health

By Stefano Gennarini, J.D. | October 25, 2011

Anand Grover, the Special Rapporteur on the ‘right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’ appeared before the third committee yesterday and presented a report addressing criminal laws and other restrictions on abortion and their effect on reproductive rights .

The report asserts that “Criminal laws penalizing and restricting induced abortion are the paradigmatic examples of impermissible barriers to the realization of women’s right to health and must be eliminated.” It misrepresents and manipulates international instruments to make this assertion. See the Friday Fax for more on the report.

When the floor of the UN meeting room was opened for questions a lively debate ensued. The delegations of Chile, Egypt, and Honduras expressed their disapproval with Grover’s conflation of the right to health and abortion. Swaziland went as afar as reprimanding him for exceeding his mandate. The Holy See’s intervention called the attention of the rapporteur to international instruments that should be used to protect the rights of the unborn.

The European Union endorsed Grover’s approach, and several European delegations were supportive. The silence of the delegations from Poland and Ireland was conspicuous.

The minutes of the meeting can be found here.

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