U.S. and 31 other nations sign declaration that 'there is no international right to abortion'

The United States and a coalition of 31 other countries have signed onto the Geneva Consensus Declaration that upholds the importance women's health, and states that there is no global right to abortion.

"At its very core the declaration protects women's health, defends the unborn, and reiterates the vital importance of the family as the foundation of society," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a virtual international ceremonial signing event that he hosted along with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.

"The Declaration is much more than a statement of beliefs—it is a critical and useful tool to defend these principles across all United Nations bodies and at every multilateral setting, using language previously agreed to by member states of those bodies," Azar said.

The event was cosponsored by the nations of Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Uganda and the U.S., all of which are declaration cosponsors. 

In all, there are 32 co-signers, including Pakistan, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and the Republic of the Congo.

Azar said that more countries are welcome to join the ranks by signing onto the declaration. 

Part of the document says that the countries will seek to: "Reaffirm that there is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of states to finance or facilitate abortion, consistent with the long-standing international consensus that each nation has the sovereign right to implement programs and activities consistent with their laws and policies." 

"But perhaps most importantly," Pompeo said, "the declaration reaffirms the inherent dignity and worth of every human being by emphasizing that every human being has the fundamental right to human life."