24 October 2008

60th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights

On 10 December 1948, the UN enacted the Declaration of Human Rights. (You can read the full text of the convention here.)The purpose of the Declaration is to recognize certain rights as universal, and to oblige all nations ensure all people have those rights. The rights are basic- the right to life, liberty and security of the person, right to recognition as a person before the law, the right to be free from slavery and torture; the list goes on.

However, there are radical pro-abortion forces that want to enshrine abortion as a basic human right in the Declaration during the 60th Anniversary celebrations. While the Declaration is not a legally binding in the way a convention is, it prohibits states from violating anything declared a "right" in the convention, and basically gives those rights precedence over everything else. If the pro-abortion forces are successful, prohibiting abortion (for any reason) would not be allowed under international law.

I think this is wrong, and so does an organization called C-FAM (Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute). They have organized a petition asking UN Member states to interpret the Declaration to protect the unborn child from abortion. If you agree, please sign the petition here, or for more information on C-FAM go here.

1 comment:

Dr Mark said...

There is a great need to become involved in all aspects of what the UN is about. It is a forum where decisions are made that affect the lives of millions of people around the world and participation by all interested parties is an absolute must.