[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1482 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1482

  To condemn the efforts of the Human Rights Committee of the United 
    Nations and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of 
Discrimination against Women to pressure and coerce the democratically 
 elected government of the Republic of Ireland to reduce or eliminate 
        its constitutionally established abortion restrictions.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2008

   Mr. McCotter (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, and Mr. Smith of New 
 Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  To condemn the efforts of the Human Rights Committee of the United 
    Nations and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of 
Discrimination against Women to pressure and coerce the democratically 
 elected government of the Republic of Ireland to reduce or eliminate 
        its constitutionally established abortion restrictions.

Whereas the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations (in this resolution 
        referred to as the ``Human Rights Committee'') monitors states who are 
        parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in 
        this resolution referred to as the ``Covenant''), to determine if a 
        state has complied with and implemented the terms of the Covenant;
Whereas the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination 
        against Women (in this resolution referred to as the ``CEDAW'') monitors 
        states who are parties to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms 
        of Disrimination Against Women (in this resolution referred to as the 
        ``Convention''), to determine if a state has complied with and 
        implemented the terms of the Convention;
Whereas the unelected members of Human Rights Committee and the CEDAW operate 
        without any formal oversight and are entirely unaccountable to the 
        United Nations System and Member States;
Whereas the unelected members of the Human Rights Committee and the CEDAW use 
        General Comments and General Recommendations, respectively, to change 
        the meaning of the Covenant and the Convention from the original text 
        negotiated by the sovereign states;
Whereas no United Nations human rights treaty, including the Covenant and the 
        Convention, mentions the word ``abortion'', or establishes or implies a 
        right to abortion;
Whereas, on August 20, 1999, the CEDAW pressured the democratically elected 
        government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting 
        abortion, by issuing a Report of the Committee on the Elimination of 
        Discrimination against Women which stated ``. . . the Committee is 
        concerned that, with very limited exceptions, abortion remains illegal 
        in Ireland.'', and stated that the government of Ireland ought to ``. . 
        . facilitate a national dialogue on women's reproductive rights, 
        including on the restrictive abortion laws.'';
Whereas, on July 24, 2000, the Human Rights Committee attempted to coerce 
        democratically the elected government of the Republic of Ireland to 
        change its laws restricting abortion, implying that the Covenant 
        obligates the Republic to do so, by issuing Concluding Observations on 
        Ireland of the Human Rights Committee that stated ``[t]he State should 
        ensure that women are not compelled to continue with pregnancies where 
        that is incompatible with obligations arising under the Covenant (art. 
        7) and General Comment No. 28.'';
Whereas, on July 22, 2005, the CEDAW pressured the democratically elected 
        government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting 
        abortion by issuing Concluding Comments on Ireland that stated ``. . . 
        the Committee reiterates its concern about the consequences of the very 
        restrictive abortion laws under which abortion is prohibited except 
        where it is established as a matter of probability that there is a real 
        and substantial risk to the life of the mother that can be averted only 
        by the termination of her pregnancy.'';
Whereas, on July 22, 2005, the CEDAW admitted in its Concluding Comments on 
        Ireland, that ``extensive national dialogue had occurred [in Ireland] on 
        the issue of abortion, with five separate referendums held on three 
        separate occasions.'', but again pressured the democratically elected 
        government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting 
        abortion (while ignoring the rejection by the Irish people of five 
        measures to liberalize those abortion laws) by ``. . . urging the State 
        party to continue to facilitate a national dialogue on women's right to 
        reproductive health, including the very restrictive abortion laws.'';
Whereas, on July 30, 2008, the Concluding Observations on Ireland of the Human 
        Rights Committee strongly pressured and attempted to coerce the 
        democratically elected government of the Republic of Ireland to change 
        its laws restricting abortion, implying that the laws contravene the 
        Convention, by stating ``[t]he Committee reiterates its concern 
        regarding the highly restrictive circumstances under which women can 
        lawfully have an abortion in the State party.'', and ``[t]he State party 
        should bring its abortion laws into line with the Covenant.''; and
Whereas the established pattern of pressure and attempted coercion from the 
        Human Rights Committee and the CEDAW against the democratically elected 
        government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting 
        abortion represents a microcosm of the efforts of the United Nations 
        Human Rights Treaty System (with the present exception of the Committee 
        on Migrant Workers) to pressure and coerce over 80 states to change 
        their laws restricting abortions: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the efforts of the Human Rights Committee of 
        the United Nations and the United Nations Committee on the 
        Elimination of Discrimination against Women to pressure and 
        coerce the democratically elected government of the Republic of 
        Ireland to reduce or eliminate its constitutionally established 
        abortion restrictions;
            (2) strongly rebukes the efforts of the Human Rights 
        Committee of the United Nations and the United Nations 
        Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to 
        interpret the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
        Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of 
        Disrimination Against Women as establishing the right to 
        abortion;
            (3) calls into question the merit of using United States 
        taxpayer-generated revenues to support the Human Rights 
        Committee of the United Nations and the United Nations 
        Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 
        light of the consistent work of the committees to promote the 
        practice of abortion around the world; and
            (4) urges countries with restrictions on the practice of 
        abortion to remain steadfast in the time-honored traditions and 
        verities of their cultures, which recognize that every human 
        being, born or unborn, has an inherent right to life, despite 
        the pressure and coercion by the members of the United Nations 
        Human Rights Treaty System, whose positions and views on 
        abortion are increasingly influenced by pro-abortion, non-
        governmental organizations such as the Center for Reproductive 
        Rights, the International Women's Health Coalition, and the 
        International Planned Parenthood Federation.
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