{"id":201106,"date":"2019-04-30T11:27:43","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T16:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=201106"},"modified":"2019-04-29T01:38:49","modified_gmt":"2019-04-29T06:38:49","slug":"us-veto-threat-abortion-un-resolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/us-veto-threat-abortion-un-resolution\/","title":{"rendered":"US veto threat gets pro-abortion language removed from UN resolution"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

The Trump administration recently threatened its veto power if the UN security council did not remove abortion-related language from a resolution aimed at combatting rape in war-torn areas. After fierce negotiations, the security council removed the language and the final resolution passed<\/a> 13-0.<\/p>\n

The resolution was an initiative by the German government to address the problem of rape in war zones. The original proposal contained language referring to “comprehensive health services” for “survivors of sexual violence” – language commonly used to imply abortion.<\/p>\n

According to Foreign Policy<\/em><\/a>, the office of the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent an internal State Department cable to the US Embassy in Berlin and the US Mission to the UN, instructing diplomats to threaten a veto if the language was not removed.<\/p>\n

This internal cable affirmed the good of the resolution, reading, “We understand and agree that more needs to be done to deter the recurrence of such crimes and assist survivors. The United States plans to be supportive in shaping future action on this important issue.\u201d However, it goes on to say,\u00a0“We cannot accept unamended explicit, or implicit, references to \u2018sexual and reproductive health'” because “we do not support or promote abortion” in global women\u2019s health.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Are Western nations pushing international abortion like \u2018old colonial masters\u2019? One woman says yes.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n