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Irish pro-life groups tell UN: 'It's time to call for universal ban on abortion'
21.03.2011
Irish pro-life groups have told a United Nations Working Group that it must recognise and support Ireland's protection of mothers and their unborn children, and that the UN should call for a worldwide ban on the killing of unborn children. The calls were made in submissions by Youth Defence, the Life Institute and other pro-life groups to a UN Working Group who are currently conducting a first-ever review of Ireland's human rights record.
The UN Working Group asked NGOs and other stakeholders to make submissions on the review by March 21st, and pro-life activists responded by pointing out that Ireland's record in protecting unborn human life should be applauded, adding that the United Nations needed to address the fact that 50 million unborn children were killed every year by abortion.
In their submission leading pro-life activists Youth Defence wrote that, "protecting unborn human life is the human rights issue of our generation. We hold that it is entirely incongruous for a nation to claim to uphold human rights while sanctioning the killing of children before birth." The group said it was time for the UN to call for a universal ban on abortion.
The pro-life group pointed out that "Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises the right to life of every person. It also states that "everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind."
"It is to be deeply regretted, then, that so many member states within the United Nations have chosen to allow the unborn child to be targeted for killing by the abortion industry which destroys almost 50 million unborn children every year. That figure is almost too enormous too comprehend. 50 million dead children each year is an unspeakable tragedy. Ending abortion should be the primary goal of the United Nations and any other human rights organisation who wishes to leave an untarnished legacy to the upcoming generations who are increasingly pro-life".
The Life Institute's submission to the UN pointed out that Ireland's ban on abortion protected both mother and child, quoting the UN's own statistics which showed that Ireland, without recourse to abortion, is the safest place in the world for a woman to have a baby. They also drew the Working Group's attention to the "evidence that abortion harms women ..with recent studies from Finland and New Zealand confirming the negative mental health implications for women who have undergone abortion."
Opinion polls consistently show that a substantial majority wish to retain Ireland's ban on abortion, with recent polls showing a full two-thirds in favour of constitutional protection for the unborn child.
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