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Monday, October 10, 2011

Pro Life Campaign welcomes decision of Government not to support recommendations calling on Ireland to introduce abortion


The UN Human Rights Council today published its draft report on Ireland’s human rights record as part of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report included recommendations from six countries for Ireland to bring in abortion. The Government accepted many of the recommendations in the report but rejected all the calls relating to abortion.


Last week, Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, representing the Government in Geneva at the public session of the UN Human Rights Council was questioned on a wide range of human rights related issues. Some 60 stakeholders and NGOs made submissions to the Universal Periodic Review, including the Pro Life Campaign, which is an accredited NGO of the United Nations.

Commenting on today’s UN Human Rights Council report on Ireland, Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign said:

The Pro Life Campaign welcomes the decision of the Government not to support recommendations from a number of countries for Ireland to introduce abortion. These calls for abortion legislation fly in the face of the UN’s own recent research showing that Ireland, without abortion, is a world leader in terms of safety for women in pregnancy.[1]

Maternal safety in Ireland, it should be noted, is better than in the six countries pressurising Ireland to introduce abortion. The legal reality is that the recent European Court of Human Rights decision in A, B and C v. Ireland does not oblige Ireland to introduce abortion.

The countries that pressured Ireland to introduce abortion were Holland, Germany, Denmark, Slovenia, Norway and Spain.

[1] Report on Maternal Mortality, UN, UNFPA, World Health Organisation 2010

Read the full UN draft report here


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Ireland safer for pregnant women than all six countries pushing us to legalise abortion



The UN Human Rights Council today examined Ireland’s human rights record as part of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, represented the Government at the public session in Geneva this morning. The Minister was questioned on a wide range of issues.  Six countries raised Ireland’s abortion laws and openly called on Ireland to legislate for abortion. The countries were Holland, Germany, Denmark, Slovenia, Norway and Spain.

Speaking from Geneva on today’s UN session, Ms Caroline Simons, Legal Consultant to the Pro Life Campaign, said:

It is interesting to note that Ireland has a much better record of safeguarding the lives of women in pregnancy than any of the six countries that challenged our laws on abortion at the UN session this morning.

The latest UN study on maternal mortality, published in 2010, shows that out of 172 countries for which estimates are given, Ireland remains a world leader in safety for pregnant women.

Contrary to what pro-choice groups claim, Ireland is not obliged to legislate for abortion following on from the recent European Court of Human Rights ruling in A, B and C v. Ireland. It would also be grossly irresponsible to do so, given the sheer volume of published peer reviewed studies, highlighting the negative consequences of abortion for women.

The UN’s Universal Periodic Review presents a genuine opportunity to re-affirm self evident inalienable human rights, the most basic of which is the right to life.  If ending the life of an unborn child were to be officially declared a human right, the term ‘human rights’ would be stripped of all its meaning. Were the UN to adopt such a position, it would do incalculable damage to its credibility as a protector of genuine human rights.

Read the Pro Life Campaign's submission to the UN Human Rights Council here

 View of UN Chamber during Ireland's Universal Periodic Review session this morning 6th October 2011

 

 Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, Caroline Simons of the Pro Life Campaign and Special Advisor to Minister Shatter, Tom Cooney.

Pro Life Campaign warmly welcomes launch of San Jose Articles

Comments by Caroline Simons, Legal Consultant to the Pro Life Campaign, Dublin, Ireland, welcoming the launch today in New York of the San Jose Articles:

The Pro Life Campaign welcomes the launch of the San Jose Articles.

The language of human rights has been hijacked and corrupted by abortion advocates. Countries like Ireland have been at the receiving end of scathing criticism for not introducing abortion, all in the name of ‘human rights.’

A complete re-examination of how the debate is conducted is long overdue. The San Jose Articles will play a significant role in informing public policy and meaningful discussion, particularly in international fora. Those responsible for putting the articles together are to be warmly congratulated.

The new charter on life issues by leading medical, legal and diplomatic professionals is being launched at the General Assembly of the UN by Professor Robert George of Princeton University and Ambassador Grover Rees.

For more information on the San Jose articles visit www.sanjosearticles.org