Over the past few years, the Trump administration has consistently stood up for pro life values at the United Nations. That hasn’t changed, as evidenced by Alex Azar in a recent meeting with top health officials from other countries.
“I stated this fact at the United Nations this past September, and I’ll repeat it here: there is no international human right to abortion. On the other hand, there is an international human right to life,” Azar said.
“President Trump has been clear, at the U.N. and on the world stage: Health care exists to improve health and preserve human life—the universal goal we all share,” he added.
Azar also condemned the push to legalize a so-called “right to abortion” on an international scale.
“If the other side’s goal of making abortion an international human right becomes a reality, it will mean all countries with laws protecting the unborn will be in violation of international human rights laws, with all the consequences that could carry,” he said. “I am sure you are all familiar with the constant drumbeat in the halls of the United Nations and the WHO to normalize the terms “sexual and reproductive health” and “reproductive rights.” What reproductive rights are they talking about? In this context, it is increasingly becoming clear that some U.N. agencies and countries want this to mean unfettered access to abortion, and we cannot let this threat go unanswered.”
Azar also stated that interference from U.N. Agencies or other countries has no place in deciding the protections for the unborn within the United States.
“These issues are a topic of active debate here in the United States, in our domestic politics, including with regard to our abortion laws, which are some of the world’s most liberal. The Trump Administration has worked extremely hard to provide better protections for the unborn in the United States, and we do so working through our own legislative and legal systems,” he said. “There is no role in this debate for interference from U.N. agencies or other countries.”
Azar also thanked the representatives of other nations who have stood alongside the United States in protecting unborn life on an international scale.
“Thank you for taking a courageous stand with us for the unborn. Thank you for standing up for the idea that every life has value,” he said. “Every country has the right, and the duty to its own citizens, to decide for themselves how laws and policies can best strengthen the family, ensure optimal health for women and adolescents throughout their lifespan, and protect the unborn.”
“It is not just one or two countries that care about national sovereignty, the family, protecting the unborn, and ensuring a genuinely positive vision for women’s health. In fact, many countries share this vision—and thanks to your willingness to work together with us, that can no longer be denied,” he stated.
