Geneva Consensus Declaration

The Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family is joint statement established to support women’s rights and optimal health while promoting national sovereignty. It was initially cosponsored by Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Uganda, and the United States.^[1] Brazil and the U.S. eventually withdrew from the document and Guatemala was added as the newest cosponsor.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} The declaration aims (a) to secure meaningful health and development gains for women; (b) protect life at all stages; (c) declare the sovereign right of every nation to make its own laws protecting life, absent external pressure; and (d) defend the family as foundational to any healthy society.^[6] Persons from 34 countries signed the document on October 22, 2020. Burundi and Chad are among the most recent signatories since the Declaration’s conception.^[7] The declaration forms an international coalition between the signing nations and affirms their support for the pro-family, pro-health, and pro-woman stances.

Initiated by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the document is not related to the United Nations' Geneva Consensus Foundation or to other Geneva-based institutions and was not signed in Geneva due to COVID-19 restrictions.^[8][1] Described as "Pompeo's project",^[8] the declaration was submitted by U.S. ambassador Kelly Craft to the UN General Assembly under agenda item 131 for December 2020.^{[citation needed]} While reaffirming the vital role women play in families and pregnancy, it also supports women’s rights and participation in political affairs and prioritizes “equal access to quality education, economic resources, and political participation as well as equal opportunities with men and boys for employment, leadership and decision-making at all levels.”^[1] Because of the inherent worth of every human life, protection for the family unit and holistic healthcare are among the highest ideals of the declaration, making “complete physical, mental and social well-being” and holistic, specialized healthcare key components of the document.^[1]

Among these affirmations, there is also no "international right to abortion."^[1] Rather, the United Nations should therefore respect national laws and policies on the matter.^[9]

A commitment to prevent access to abortion, where that is the position of a nation's law, is central to the declaration.^[8] The persons signing the statement "[r]eaffirm [inter alia] that there is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion, consistent with the long-standing international consensus that each nation has the sovereign right to implement programs and activities consistent with their laws and policies ... ."^[1]

Egyptian NGO Nazra described the declaration as "an international attack on women, gender, and sexuality",^[8] and Amnesty International USA said the signatories were "willingly endangering people's health and lives".^[10] Critics have accused the signatories of being motivated by a desire to undermine established international institutions, though the document’s stated purpose emphasizes the preservation of national sovereignty in deciding a state’s own public health policies. ^[8] The push for sovereign rights comes amidst increased global pressure to support an international right to abortion.

On January 28, 2021, U.S. president Joe Biden removed the United States from the declaration.^[5][11] The President continued to encourage other states, such as Burkina Faso and Benin, to withdraw as well.^[12] These nations that only permit abortion in certain circumstances and do not prescribe to the agenda being perpetrated on them at a global scale. These decisions prompted U.S. lawmakers to express concern for the new administration's preservations of families and individual well-being.^[12] The declaration was signed by Iván Duque of Colombia, but was withdrawn by Gustavo Petro shortly after taking office as president.^[13] On January 17, 2023, Brazil president Lula da Silva removed Brazil from the declaration.^[14]

The declaration was signed by unspecified "ministers and high representatives of Governments" from the United States, Bahrain, Belarus, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Gambia, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Nauru, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and Zambia.^[15] As the signatories were unspecified, there is no evidence that the signatories were empowered to bind any country.^[16]

Many note that most of the signatories come from illiberal, authoritarian, or autocratic governments.^[17][8] They point out that the governments predominantly subscribe to more religious viewpoints.^[18][8] While the declaration contains statements on women's rights and gender equality, there is room for much improvement in implementing these measures to the fullest extent.

• Commission on Unalienable Rights
• Foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration
• Foreign policy of the Joe Biden administration
• Mexico City Policy

• Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family as filed with the United Nations