CV NEWS FEED // Congressman Chris Smith, R-N.J., is calling out what he describes as the global “hijacking” of the Beijing Declaration to push abortion, as the world marks the 30th anniversary of the influential U.N. document on women’s rights.
Originally adopted at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was promoted as a milestone for advancing gender equality worldwide.
In a March 26 press release, Smith cautioned that the document has been misused in the decades since.
“Thirty years ago, the Beijing Declaration was hailed as a landmark moment for gender equality,” Smith said. “But advocates with an agenda used it to push abortion as an international right.”
The veteran lawmaker and prominent pro-life advocate emphasized that the Declaration contains no such mandate.
“The document itself … in fact states that any changes to a country’s abortion laws ‘can only be determined at the national or local level according to the national legislative process,’” he said.
Smith, a longtime co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, warned that in the decades since its adoption, some NGOs and foreign governments have used the non-binding agreement as a tool to pressure sovereign, pro-life nations into legalizing abortion.
“[They are] disregarding the deeply held beliefs of their people,” he said.
He urged lawmakers around the world to reject this pressure and instead promote policies that protect both mother and child.
“Genuine health care and human rights are life affirming and do not come at the expense of the unborn,” he said.
Smith called for a renewed global commitment to life-affirming policies that support maternal and child health, uphold the dignity of every person, and strengthen the family. “For three decades, the international abortion lobby has misused the Beijing Declaration to undermine the fundamental right to life and erode the foundation of the family,” he said. “It is time for leaders around the world to stand firm against this agenda and advocate for policies that protect life at all stages.”
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