ACDP Welcomes Opposition to Reproductive Health changes to Earth Summit

Steve Swart MP – ACDP

Wednesday, 04 September 2002


ACDP MP Steve Swart, who attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development, has welcomed the opposition to changing the Earth Summit plan to include specific reference to abortions.

Mr Swart said, “I highlighted the ACDP’s position in this regard during the recent Parliamentary debate on the World Summit. I am therefore pleased that the United States, the Vatican and other developing countries are apposing changes to include specific reference to abortions in the draft text.

This view is in opposition to the official South Africa stance, which views the right to abortion as a “universal right that is not controlled by religion, that is not controlled by culture.”

Canada wants to add the phrase “and in conformity with all human rights and fundamental freedoms” to the paragraph on healthcare services to ensure that a person’s right to make health decisions about their own body (i.e. abortion) is a basic human right.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further comment please call Steve Swart MP at 083 2856290 or ACDP Media Liaison Liza Bloemetje at 082 4781037