UN Secretary-General António Guterres believes that sexual and reproductive health and rights are the “foundation for women and girls around the world to make choices, empowerment and equality,” a UN spokesman said, following the leak of a draft ruling that would overturn abortion rights in the United States.
Although UN spokesman Farhan Haq declined to comment directly on the U.S. Supreme Court draft, he said Guterres has repeatedly raised concerns about “a global rollback” in women’s rights, including reproductive and essential health services.
The U.S. Supreme Court confirmed the authenticity of the draft ruling to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide, but said it did not represent its final position, which is due by the end of June.
“While we have seen this document that has been leaked and raises a number of concerns for all of us, in our international policies in terms of permission for women’s and girls’ reproductive health, we will continue to support those efforts,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“We have restored the U.S. position on this issue,” he added.
Under former President Donald Trump’s administration, the United States led a push at the UN against promoting women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights because it considers that a standard for abortion. It opposed long-agreed international language in UN resolutions.
Trump also cut funding to the U.N. Population Fund in 2017 because he said it “supports or participates in the management of a coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization program.”
The UN said it was an inaccurate perception. President Joe Biden’s administration has restored funding.