Human Rights Groups Urge UN To Intervene in Attack on U.S. Abortion Rights

What’s the story?

• Prominent human rights activists and organizations are urging the United Nations to intervene in the attacks on abortion rights in the U.S. 
• The groups — including the Global Justice Center, Pregnancy Justice, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch — wrote a letter to the UN detailing the destruction of abortion rights in America and the danger it’s putting women, girls, and people who can become pregnant in. 
• The letter was sent to several UN agencies and officials — the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls; the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy. The UN has not yet publicly responded to the letter.

What does the letter say?

• The letter points to the damages caused by the 2022 case Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The letter states: 

“The harms of the Dobbs decision detailed in this appeal include: the impact on women’s lives and health; the penalization of healthcare, including criminalization; threats to privacy from increased digital surveillance; infringement on freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief; and the disproportionate impact on marginalized populations.”

• The authors claim that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion contravenes the U.S.’s international obligations as a member of the UN. Members must protect and uphold the rights to life, health, privacy, security, and freedom from torture and inhumane treatment. 
• The letter notes that the UN previously established that denying abortion can cause “physical and mental suffering so severe in pain and intensity as to amount to torture.” The human rights groups highlighted this statement in hopes that the UN will act on its duty to help and protect those suffering from the Republican-based legislation. 

Can the UN intervene?

• The groups alleged that the abortion bans violate multiple obligations under international human rights law, which the UN Security Council can investigate and mediate. While the UN has condemned the U.S.’s decision and called for the government to legalize abortion, little action has been taken. 
• The letter urges the UN to take action to protect abortion rights and lays out specific steps the organization can take: communicate with the U.S. regarding human rights violations, request a visit to the U.S., convene a virtual stakeholder meeting with the U.S. civil society, call for the U.S. to comply with international law, and call for private companies to support abortion rights. 
• Signatories in the letter also pointed to the UN Human Rights Committee’s interference with similar issues over abortion access in other countries like Ireland and El Salvador, arguing for similar scrutiny in the U.S.

Do you think the UN should take action to save abortion rights in America?

-Jamie Epstein