Ordo Iuris presents to the UN its position on the defense of life

On 6 October this year, Ordo Iuris Institute, joined by 17 pro-life organizations from Canada and Poland, submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee its position on the draft General Comment to Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Polish public opinion has already been informed about the initiative of the UN Human Rights Committee outlined in its submitted draft General Comment which grossly distorts the very contents of the safeguards of the right to life, enshrined in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The draft General Comment was presented in order to make pressure on the parties to this treaty to legalize abortion, assisted suicide and euthanasia in the name of the right to life. This interpretation has been opposed by non-governmental organizations from all over the world and also by the Government of the Republic of Poland.

It its document, Ordo Iuris Institute highlights that the draft interpretation imposes legal provisions which are contrary to existing international law and to the will of the States-Parties to the Covenant, as translated into its contents. Ordo Iuris expressly emphasizes that the UN Human Rights Committee has no mandate to adopt the Comment in such wording as no single international law provision authorizes it to change or complement the provisions of the Covenant with such subjective rights as “right to abortion” or “right to a decent death” understood as “the right to euthanasia”, which are unknown to international law and are not subject to international consensus. 

At the same time, Ordo Iuris Institute quotes the statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO) to point out that between 1990 and 2015, countries which prohibit or put significant constraints on access to abortion could boast a considerably lower maternal mortality rate than those countries where abortion is a widespread practice. This correlation shows that countries which provide better protection of the child’s life in the prenatal stage of development ensure also better care of the life and health of mothers.

The position of Ordo Iuris Institute has received the support of Life Canda and of 16 women organizations and groups of defenders of life and of the family (the Foundation of the Center of Support to Initiatives for Life and the Family, Donum Vitae Foundation, Foundation of the Confederation of Women of the Republic of Poland, Small Feet Foundation, Mother and Dad Foundation, MaterCare Poland Foundation, “Nazareth” Foundation, Right to Life Pro-Foundation, S.O.S Foundation for the Defense of the Conceived Life, Creative Women Foundation, Life Foundation, Ordo Caritatis Institute, ‘Parents Protect Children’ Association, Association of Catholic Families of Legnica Diocese, Association of Large Families of Warsaw and Mazovian Region, Healthy Family Association).

At the same time, Ordo Iuris Institute’s position was supported by more than 16 thousand citizens who stated their opposition to the Human Rights Committee’s attempts at deforming international law. Similar support petitions have been launched by other organizations.

Now, the UN Human Rights Committee has been analyzing all received positions and will undertake further works on the said General Comment during its session to be held between 27 October and 2 November.