FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jenn Remick, jenn.remick@iwh2021
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16, 2022 – The Institute for Women’s Health (IWH) applauds the nation of Colombia for becoming the newest member of the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD) coalition, a group of now 37 nations committed to defending women’s health and the family, declaring there is no international right to abortion, and protecting the sovereign right of every nation to legislate on these issues without foreign interference.
“The Institute for Women’s Health praises Colombia for joining the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD),” said Valerie Huber, president and founder of the Institute for Women’s Health. “Despite aggressive attempts by the Biden administration and other progressive allied nations to coerce less powerful nations into accepting their radical agendas, along with the unprecedented move by the U.S. to request the erasure of the GCD from the UN historical document system altogether, Colombia’s courageous decision demonstrates that the coalition continues to grow and thrive despite their best efforts. And that is worth celebrating!”
On May 13, during an extraordinary session of the Organization of American States (OAS) celebrating International Day of the Family, Alejandro Ordoñez, Ambassador of Colombia to the OAS, announced that the government of President Iván Duque joined the coalition amidst the support of members of their Congress and other Colombians. The Chancellery’s Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs, Maria Carmelina Londoño, stated that the signing was intended to be a symbol of its strong commitment to families.
The GCD, first signed in 2020, is a coalition of nations that has at its core a commitment to promote genuine health gains for women and girls at every life stage — from the youngest to the oldest — including during their reproductive years. In 2021, Brazil assumed the secretariat for the GCD, following the U.S. holding that position in 2019 and 2020. The GCD is pro-women and girls, pro-family and pro-sovereignty. It tells the truth that there is no “international right to abortion” and reaffirms the importance of “preserving human dignity and all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
“IWH believes that a coalition like the Geneva Consensus Declaration can be an effective catalyst to foster real progress in women’s health abroad,” said Huber. “It is a rare haven for nations like Colombia that want to improve the health of women and girls at all life stages and affirm their commitment to the family.”
