UFI at the United Nations
UFI Stands for Families at UN Commission on the Status of Women
By Laura Knaperek, UFI's Executive Director
March 8, 2007
Foreign at best and labyrinth in its process, the United Nations is out of reach to most citizens. It is difficult enough to participate in the legislative process that is designed to be citizen friendly. The United Nations process is hardly what the average person would call “friendly,” but it is vital in its affect on public policy – even more than imaginable.
Part
of United Families International's (UFI) mission is to advocate for the traditional
family in the United Nations process. Since 1978, UFI has recognized the need
to stand for the family in the international arena. UFI volunteers have heeded
the call to the United Nations ever since. There are 10-12 events annually
that we participate in at some level, some more important than others.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is one of the more important events. It is at CSW that language is agreed upon that could affect public policy in the United States and around the world dealing with women's issues, including health, education and parental rights. This year, CSW focuses on three main issues: violence against the girl-child in armed conflict (rape), prenatal sex-selection and female infanticide (gender abortion and murder of newborn baby girls), and forced early marriage, although many other topics are included.
The Commission started on Monday, February 26th and will end Friday, March 9th. This report reflects the first week of groundwork. There will be a final report in the near future.
Building Support for the Family
Working with like-minded organizations in the pro-family/pro-life coalition, our representatives at CSW are forming strategy to promote families and to oppose anti-family language in the Draft Agreed Conclusions – a starting point for negotiations to the final CSW document. The draft language was developed by the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women. They rely on the influence of delegates on the Commission, some of whom are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that push the feminist agenda. The draft may be amended at any time during the two-week process. The final document will be a consensus of varying points of view. Here are a few examples of draft language that is problematic for pro-family advocates and national sovereignty supporters:
P.2 11.The Commission urges Governments to take the following actions:
a. Ratify without reservations the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and their respective Optional Protocols, (SG report girl child OP 51 a) and ensure that they are incorporated into national law and become fully applicable in domestic legal systems; (SG report girl child OP 51 c).
b. Ratify, bring national legislation into conformity with, and fully implement…and establish appropriate penalties and sanctions to ensure effective enforcement; (SG report girl child OP 51f)
c. Enact and/or strengthen legislation on eliminating discrimination and violence against girls, develop policies that ensure their effective implementation, and put in place adequate accountability mechanisms at national and local levels to monitor adherence to, and compliance with these mechanisms; (SG report girl child OP 51 g)
As you can see, the above language taken from the draft document undermines the respect of national and state sovereignty and encourages both overriding federal, state and local laws, and UN regulation and sanctions. Additionally, other examples of draft language (see below) are harmful to the respect of family, human life, parents and religious and cultural values:
P.3 Education
b. Identify constraints and gaps and develop strategies to ensure accelerated achievement of equality in enrollment and completion of schooling at the primary and…and promote gender-sensitive, empowering educational processes, by reviewing and revising as necessary, school curricula, formal and non-formal educational materials and teacher-training programmes…
P.4 Health
k. Make widely available comprehensive information and counseling to girls and boys, including in school curricula, on human relationships, sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and the prevention of early pregnancy, that are confidential and easily accessible…
UFI and coalition members are lobbying delegates, identifying allies and speaking up for the family. UFI's “UN Negotiating Guide,” based on the five respects – family, human life, parents, religious values and national sovereignty, is used by many as a quick reference that empowers delegates and coalition members to speak and act on behalf of the family.
Numerous delegations favor pro-family language in the outcome document and are willing to dialogue with us on favorable language. Trained volunteers and experienced team leaders are able to promote the pro-family position to these delegations. Middle Eastern and African nations seem to be the most receptive to the traditional family and national sovereignty issues. Most of these nations have laws against abortion and want these laws recognized and respected by the U.N. One country is in the process of formulating language encouraging women to abstain from sex until marriage and from extra-marital sex. Another is helping the United States push for language that not only supports parental rights, but denounces forced early marriage, and prenatal sex selection and infanticide.
Opponents Press for CEDAW Ratification
Last week at a side event concerned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and on the Convention for the Elimination of all Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), we observed anti-family non-governmental organizations making plans to press for implementation of questionable policies. They want to use the might of the U.N. to undermine the laws and statutes of sovereign nations. Our opponents want to set deadlines and time frames on all data requirements so that the U.N. committees overseeing CEDAW and other treaties can hold ratified nations more accountable. Strategy sessions are in the works for achieving their goals.
In addition, American women circulated petitions calling for U.S. Senate ratification of the CEDAW treaty. Their petition, filled with misinformation about CEDAW, will be presented to U.S. senators Joseph Biden (Democrat-Delaware) and Barbara Boxer (Democrat-California) to encourage them to lead CEDAW ratification efforts.
CSW continues through the end of the week when the final negotiations occur. The results of the final document will be pivotal in future documents and legal battles involving the pro-family agenda. We need your moral and financial support to enable UFI to continue fighting for the family here and abroad.
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