Ensuring the rights of women through Safe Abortions

United Human Rights Council

I.- Introduction

The United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC), founded in March 15th 2006 has the task of strengthening and ensuring that human rights across the globe are protected and implemented as well as investigating human rights violations and making recommendations on them. As such, the Human Rights Council is currently focused on the practice of abortions and the controversy surrounding women's rights.

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What is an abortion? An abortion is the act of terminating a pregnancy with the removal of an embryo or fetus before it can survive outside the uterus. Although the act has been practiced for centuries, each country holds its own beliefs and laws towards certain circumstances regarding the act.

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II.- History and Description of the Issue

It is important to note that in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly ensures that human rights are given at the moment of birth, therefore focusing the council to  consider the women suffering from clandestine abortions. It is in the United Nations belief, that it is important to make an effort to decriminalize abortion and ensure that women and girls have the right to make their own decisions about pregnancy.

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The Human Rights Council seeks a safe solution for all women, due to the estimated 25 million “unsafe” abortions carried out every year, of which have caused the deaths of 47,000 women each year, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO). Due to both cultural and religious beliefs, many women post-abortion are mistreated both physically and verbally and outcasted. These practices also pressure women into not receiving abortions, even if medically needed. Restrictive legislation which denies access to safe abortion also helps encourage the abuse.

 

III.- Committee's Mission

Prohibition does not reduce the need and the number of abortions, it merely increases the risks to the health and life of women and girls who resort to unsafe and illegal services. Governments have a duty to ensure that women and girls have safe access to sexual education in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as safe abortion clinics.

 

Several meetings around the world have taken place, which has lead to some country committees assessing and addressing solutions in the very complex problem that have yet to be resolved. As such it is possible that multiple solutions need to be implemented. Such a controversial topic may need several solutions for both groups (pro-life and pro-choice); would it be possible to address the issue in subgroups? Could there be an agreement between pro-life and pro-choice that will benefit all?

 

IV.- Works Cited

• "Human Rights Begin At Birth: International Law And The Claim Of Fetal Rights." Reproductive Health Matters (2019):. Web. 20 Feb. 2019.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1016/S0968-8080(05)26218-3

• "Ireland: UN Experts Urge Amending Abortion Ban Subjecting Women To Suffering And Discrimination." UN News. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Feb. 2019.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/06/531652-ireland-un-experts-urge-amending-abortion-ban-subjecting-women-suffering-and

• "UN Human Rights Committee Formally Excludes Unborn Child From ‘Right To Life’." LifeSiteNews. N. p., 2019. Web. 20 Feb. 2019.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/un-human-rights-committee-formally-excludes-unborn-child-from-right-to-life