I have to admit, this news made me smile. For years, we’ve been working to encourage countries to embrace the Geneva Consensus Declaration and stand with women and their unborn children. Now the United States is stepping up to lead it again. For the women of the world—and for the precious lives of their unborn children—this could be a very important new chapter.
In defense of life,
Wendy Wixom, President
United Families International
America Steps Up for Women, Families, and the Unborn:
The Geneva Consensus Declaration Returns to the U.S.
Cristina Cevallos
On August 12, a joint statement by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States will serve as the Secretariat of the Geneva Consensus Declaration.
Following Hungary’s tenure as Secretariat, the United States will now carry this work forward through a “whole-of-government effort led jointly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State.”
United Families International has championed the Geneva Consensus Declaration since its founding in 2020, working to encourage countries to sign on and supporting those that have joined the coalition. We are therefore especially pleased to see the United States once again assume the Secretariat and provide renewed leadership for this important international effort.
The Geneva Consensus Declaration is an international agreement focused on promoting women’s health, strengthening families, and affirming the protection of human life. It seeks to protect the sovereign right of nations to uphold their own core values through national policies and legislation.
As the statement notes, the Declaration has four main objectives: to secure meaningful health and development gains for women; to protect human life at all stages; to defend the family as the fundamental unit of society; and to work together across the United Nations system to advance these values.
The text of the Declaration states that signatory countries recognize, among other principles:
- The inherent “dignity and worth of the human person.”
- That “every human being has the inherent right to life.”
- A commitment to “enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best chance of having a healthy infant.”
- That “in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning.”
- That there is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation for States to finance or facilitate abortion.
- That “the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.”
The Geneva Consensus Declaration is promoted internationally by The Institute for Women’s Health, a policy and programmatic institute dedicated to identifying high-impact solutions to advance women’s health and well-being. The Institute works to build coalitions that ensure women have the necessary tools to protect and improve their health, bringing together foreign organizations and governments from around the world. While these partners may have diverse interests and priorities, they share a common commitment to advancing and protecting women’s health.
The decision for the United States to resume the Secretariat of the Geneva Consensus is highly significant. The Declaration was established during the first Trump administration, with the United States initially serving as its Secretariat. Launched in 2020 as an act of coordination among six nations, it was co-sponsored by Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia and Uganda.
However, shortly after taking office, President Joe Biden ordered the withdrawal from the Declaration. President Trump rejoined the coalition in January 2025, and it is now taking on the role of Secretariat once again within the Office of Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The statement emphasizes the current administration’s commitment to supporting families, promoting women’s health, and protecting children at all stages of life. It also argues that investing in women’s health and well-being saves lives, expands opportunities for women and girls, and strengthens the family as the fundamental unit of society.
Bethany Kozma, Director of Global Affairs at HHS, commented that reaffirming these principles through international cooperation “will help families become stronger, safer, and more prosperous.” She also stressed the importance of placing families at the center of public policy, arguing that strong families contribute to thriving economies and societies. “If you support the family, there’s no need for abortion,” she said, emphasizing that supporting families ultimately leads to “thriving societies.”
Argentina is the first country to join the coalition while the United States is serving this new round as its Secretariat, becoming the 42nd country to join a coalition whose members affirm that there is no international “right to abortion” and emphasize the importance of women’s health and the family.
As Valerie Huber, founder and president of the Institute for Women’s Health, told us, “The GCD affirms what should never have been controversial: that there is no international right to abortion, that every woman deserves the highest attainable standard of health, and that the family is the fundamental unit of society.”
This news comes alongside another that stands in stark contrast. On August 10, Democrat Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, surrounded by cheering women, signed legislation allowing abortion at any stage of pregnancy (even up until the ninth month) making Massachusetts the eleventh state in the United States without gestational limits on abortion. The law eliminates all state restrictions on abortion after 24 weeks. This is deeply concerning, but rather than discouraging us, it should strengthen our resolve to continue working to protect mothers and their children before, during, and after pregnancy.
The principles reflected in the Geneva Consensus Declaration must not remain merely words on paper. They must be translated into concrete policies and practical support for women and families. Citizens of every nation should be doing everything within their power to build a culture in which abortion becomes unthinkable because women are genuinely supported and families have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. United Families International will continue our work towards this end and challenge you, in your sphere of influence, to engage in efforts to protect the unborn!
Cristina is a Peruvian lawyer with a master’s degree in Human Rights. She combines political experience with her work as a writer and researcher, focusing on bioethics, family, religious freedom, and cultural heritage.