Together with a coalition of nearly 200 pro-life organizations and groups in many countries, PRO VITA Bucharest signed a letter to US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, following the exclusion of abortion from the State Department’s annual human rights report. The signatories congratulated Mr. Tillerson for his support for a „correct understanding of international humanitarian law” in the report.
March 1st, 2018
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Tillerson,
We are writing to you as human rights, health, and development organizations to congratulate you for supporting a proper understanding of international human rights in the forthcoming State Department’s annual Human Rights Report. By rejecting attempts to include abortion and other contentious issues, which are not universally agreed upon human rights, you are returning the United States to its leadership role in promoting the right to life and protecting the family.
We welcomed the news from spokeswoman Heather Nauert that the State Department will no longer attempt to dilute the seriousness of human rights and “will sharpen the focus of the report on abuses of internationally recognized human rights and the most egregious issues.”
Internationally agreed upon human rights treaties do not mention abortion, much less do they contain any right to abortion. On the contrary, nations have repeatedly rejected any right to abortion in open debate at the United Nations. They will do so again at the Commission on the Status of Women in just a few weeks. Nonetheless, UN committees and staff have attempted to reinterpret internationally agreed upon documents as including a right to abortion, and they have pressured countries to change their laws accordingly. UN human rights treaty monitoring bodies have pressured countries 479 times to liberalize their laws based upon their own personal views of the treaties. This is a dangerous trend and the State Department’s human rights report will send a strong signal to human rights experts that the United States will adhere to a proper understanding of international law going forward.
As organizations committed to human rights and protection of the weakest, most vulnerable members of society, we work against all violations of human rights and outrages on personal dignity no matter what the sex, religion, race, or nationality of the victim. These rights are indivisible and universal.
Eighty years ago, nations agreed that “the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” They agreed that “men and women…have the right to marry and found a family”. Today these rights are threatened. Those who seek to erase their very existence from UN documents do so based on the misunderstanding that these rights somehow offend people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. This is simply false. Furthermore, strong and healthy families are the safest place for all children, especially girls. When a girl is raised within a loving home with her parents, her chances of achieving higher education, health, employment, and security are improved significantly.
By publishing this report without inserting politically motivated and contentious social issues, you will ensure the credibility of this important human rights tool—that so many of our colleagues around the world use to hold governments to account.
Your leadership is deeply appreciated on this vital matter.
Lista completă a semnatarilor [pdf]
1. Abanderados por la Familia Colombia
2. Abogando por Guatemala
3. Abortion Alternatives
4. African Network For Change
5. African Organization for Famiies
6. Agere
7. Alfa Szövetség (Alpha Alliance for Life)
8. Alliance for Life International
9. Alliance of Romania’s Families
10. Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH)
11. ANDEVI
12. ANEPROVIDA
13. Apep
14. Apostolado de la Nueva Evangelizacion – Casita de Oracion – Familias de Nazareth
15. Argentinos Alerta
16. Asociācija Ģimene
17. Asociación Centro de Asistencia a la Mujer
18. Asociación de familias numerosas de Madrid
19. Asociación de mujeres Peñallana
20. Asociacion La Familia Importa
21. ASOCIACION NICARAGUENSE DE BIOETICA
22. ASOCIACION NICARAGUENSE POR LA VIDA
23. Asociacion por el derecho a vivir
24. Asociación Vida &Familia
25. Associacio Catalana de Pares Separats
26. association chrétienne de lutte contre l’avortement(A.C.L.C.A)
27. Azzjoni Kattolika (Gozo Catholic Action)
28. Beyond the Shades of Gray
29. Billings LIFE
30. California Right to Life Educational Fund
31. Cana Movement
32. Casa Pró-Vida Mãe Imaculada
33. CATHOLIC CENTRE FOR LIFE
34. Catholic Pro-life Committee
35. Catholic Women’s League of Australia
36. CEAP PEDREIRA
37. Centro de Estudios de Familia y Sociedad
38. Centro de Política Familiar „Visión & Desarrollo”
39. Cheer Sincere (HK) Limited
40. Christian Concern
41. Christian Democratic Party
42. Christ’s Brothers & Sisters Down Under
43. CitizenGO
44. Civil Society for the Family
45. Colegio Trabajo y Hogar de Jalisco AC
46. Comitato Cattilici per una Civiltà dell’Amore
47. Comitium Nuestra Señora del Ave Maria
48. Comunicación con Éxito
49. CON MIRADA DE MUJER
50. Consejo Mexicano de la Familia, A.B.P.
51. Construye Observatorio Regional para la Mujer de América Latina y El Caribe AC
52. Corporación de Orientación Familiar, COFAM
53. Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life
54. Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life – USA
55. Crossroads Pro-Life
56. Crusade for the Family
57. Custodiando Vidas
58. Demographic and social statistics division NSO South Kivu
59. Derecho A Vivir
60. Dhaka Single Women Association
61. Dowd Chapel, 13943 Dowd Drive, Boys Town, NE 68010
62. ENCUENTRO FAMILIAR BOGOTA
63. Enfant du Monde-Priorité Santé
64. Enlace, A.C.
65. ERGO – European Regional Organization
66. Familia Desarrollo Población, FADEP
67. Familia, Cultura y Sociedad, A.C.
68. Familias De Esperanza
69. Familias y Sociedad A. C.
70. Familienföderation für Weltfrieden und Vereinigung Deutschland
71. Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Switzerland
72. Family Life Groups
73. FamilyPolicy.RU
74. Fatti Sentire
75. Fondation Bien-Etre Famille Ltee
76. Fondazione Novae Terrae
77. For Family Rights
78. Fundación Sí a la Vida
79. Generación Provida
80. Grandees.org
81. HazteOir.org
82. Hnutí Pro život ČR
83. Homeschoolers of Maine
84. HUMA
85. Human Life of WA
86. Humanizate, por una cultura en familia, A.C.
87. In the Name of the Family
88. Indonesian SVD of Family Commision
89. Instituto Panameño de Educación Familiar
90. Interessenvertretung ungeborener Menschen e.V.
91. International Baptist Church of Tbilisi, Georgia
92. International Solidarity and Human Rights Institute
93. IPS. Instituto de Política social
94. Ireland Stand Up
95. Jackson Madison County TEA Party
96. JMJ Children’s Fund of Canada Inc.
97. Kaunas United Demokratic Movement
98. Knights of Columbus 2908
99. La Mamá Oca
100. Lake County Right To Life
101. Le Beffroi
102. Libertad Viva
103. Life is Worth Living, Inc.
104. LifeNetwork Foundation Malta
105. Live Christ Share Christ Movement
106. LOS INOCENTES DE MARIA A.C.
107. Love March Movement
108. Lyceum 8 „Olympia”
109. Más mujer
110. Mi familia
111. Mission America
112. Monastère de Montorge
113. Moscow city parental committee
114. MOVIMIENTO FAMILIAR CRISTIANO de España
115. Movimiento Social de Justicia Restaurativa
116. MUJER CON VALOR A.C.
117. MUMAFAM AC
118. National Association of Catholic Families Australia
119. Nucleus of Life
120. OFS (Msida)
121. Oratório Sagradas Relíquias
122. Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis- Kenya
123. Organización Pro-Familia
124. Padres Objetores
125. Parroquia Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
126. Pastoral familiar Santa Mónica del Colegio San Agustin de Chiclayo
127. Pequeña Comunidad Samaritana y Misionera Sagrada Familia
128. Population Research Institute
129. Pregnancy Lifeline
130. Pro Vita Onlus
131. Prolife Joint Operations Research
132. Pro-Life Nurses of Wisconsin
133. Protect Marriage Australia
134. Queremos Vivir
135. RAH
136. REAL Women of Canada
137. Red Familia Colombia
138. Red Jóvenes Provida Perú
139. Red por la Vida y la Familia Chile
140. RED PRO YUCATAN
141. Red Vida y Familia Ecuador
142. Res Claritatis
143. Right to Life Association Western Australia
144. Ruah Woods
145. Ruth Institute
146. Sask Pro-Life Association
147. Save Our Families
148. SEMUJER
149. St Joseph’s Pro Life Group
150. St. Bernard’s Catholic Mens Fellowship
151. St. Lawrence Catholic Church
152. St. Theresa Pro-Life Committee
153. St.Teresa’s Respect Life
154. Stowarzyszenie Dziewięć Dni
155. Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP)
156. T & B Texas Longhorn Cattle Company
157. The Family Institute of Washington
158. THE FELLOWSHIP OF ST. JAMES
159. The Intercollegiate Defense of Equality and Solidarity
160. Third Order of St Dominic
161. Time2Think
162. Transatlantic Christian Council
163. UMAVID
164. Universal Peace Federation Switzerland
165. Vaile Oceania
166. Valores para mí país
167. Victory Christian Centre
168. Vida y familia AC
169. Vopacke/Rainey Family Tree Society
170. Voto Católico Colombia
171. Vox Vitae
172. Voz Pública A. C.
173. Vyborg Christian Center
174. Welland Port Colborne Pro-Life Association
175. Yellowstone Valley Christians for Life