The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations made a statement during the 56th Commission on Population and Development, in which they asserted that millions of children were denied their right to education due to a narrow focus on comprehensive sexual education.
The fifty-sixth annual United Nations Commission on Population and Development concluded abruptly on Friday, April 14, in New York City. The Commission’s conclusion was not a resounding one, and the entire process, which spanned several weeks, proved to be an exercise in futility.
Why?
The draft document of the plan of action lacked sufficient detail regarding the topics of sex and abortion. In response, the EU, USA, and Canada introduced radical and previously unagreed upon language, thereby initiating the process of making comprehensive sexual education (CSE) a human right. National Right to Life vehemently opposes CSE because it would permit minor children to seek abortion providers without the knowledge or consent of their parents.
Once this far-reaching pro-abortion language was added, twenty-two countries, representing over one billion people, withdrew their support of the document. The negotiations then spiraled into chaos, as the United Nations requires total consensus of all voting member states for the plan of action to move forward.
At one point, the Pakistani delegation asserted that the most pressing challenge facing children globally is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. They noted that nearly 100 million children worldwide are currently unable to attend school due to the fallout from the pandemic. This statement was immediately followed by a counterpoint from the Dutch delegation, who argued that the true crisis is the lack of comprehensive sexual education.
These statements are illustrative of the complex and multifaceted nature of the challenges facing children and adolescents globally. It is evident that the pandemic has had a profound impact on education, yet the Dutch delegation’s assertion that the true crisis is the lack of comprehensive sexual education highlights the broader and more nuanced dimensions of the issue.
It is also noteworthy that a representative from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs argued that the high birth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa is a significant barrier to education. This highlights the interconnectivity of various factors influencing the education of children and adolescents globally. The delegate from Argentina then made a claim that all UN language regarding so-called “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights” is akin to post-Vatican II Catholic teaching. By the end of the last week, lines had been drawn, and positions were hardened to the extent that no outcome document or plan of action was produced.
And that’s a good thing.
This was a significant pro-life victory. It has become increasingly challenging, if not impossible, to include protective language in any UN document. It requires considerable effort to prevent the introduction of new, hysterical pro-abortion language from the far left.
National Right to Life was present to support the courageous members representing the twenty-two countries who confronted the rest of the world. Many countries contacted Austin Cherry, who was in the NGO Gallery, to express gratitude to NRLC for our assistance and encouragement.
The struggle continues, and the global conflict is not yet resolved. Nevertheless, we will persist in our efforts to defend those who are most in need of our assistance.