Geneva Consensus Declaration
Floor Speech
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Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, this month marks the first anniversary of the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family. The historic coalition that issued this declaration was formed by a diverse group of countries committed to advancing women's health, protecting life at every stage while affirming that there is no international right to abortion, upholding the importance of the family as foundational to society, and defending the sovereign right of Nations to make their own laws to advance these core values, without external pressure. The Geneva Consensus Declaration was signed on October 22, 2020, by 32 countries from every region of the world, representing more than 1,600,000,000 people, which committed to working together on the core pillars enshrined in the declaration, and five countries have subsequently signed. Although President Biden removed the United States as a signatory to the Geneva Consensus Declaration earlier this year, at least temporarily, the coalition is alive and growing, currently consisting of 36 countries.
Reaffirm ``all are equal before the law,'' and ``human rights of women are an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms'';
2. Emphasize ``the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all civil and political rights,'' as well as economic, social, and cultural rights; and the ``equal rights, opportunities and access to resources and equal sharing of responsibilities for the family by men and women and a harmonious partnership between them are critical to their wellbeing and that of their families''; and that ``women and girls must enjoy equal access to quality education, economic resources, and political participation as well as equal opportunities with men and boys for employment, leadership and decision-making at all levels;''
3. Reaffirm the inherent ``dignity and worth of the human person,'' that ``every human being has the inherent right to life,'' and the commitment ``to enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best chance of having a healthy infant'';
4. Emphasize that ``in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning'' and that ``any measures or changes related to abortion within the health system can only be determined at the national or local level according to the national legislative process'';
5. Reaffirm that ``the child . . . needs special safeguards and care . . . before as well as after birth'' and ``special measures of protection and assistance should be taken on behalf of all children,'' based on the principle of the best interest of the child; Reaffirm that ``the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State''; that ``motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance,'' that ``women play a critical role in the family'' and women's ``contribution to the welfare of the family and to the development of society'';
6. Recognize that ``universal health coverage is fundamental for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related not only to health and well-being,'' with further recognition that ``health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'' that ``the predominant focus of healthcare systems on treating illness rather than maintaining optimal health also prevents a holistic approach''; and that there are ``needs that exist at different stages in an individual's lifespan,'' which together support optimal health across the life course, entailing the provision of the necessary information, skills, and care for achieving the best possible health outcomes and reaching full human potential; and
7. ``Reaffirm the importance of national ownership and the primary role and responsibility of governments at all levels to determine their own path towards achieving universal health coverage, in accordance with national contexts and priorities'', preserving human dignity and all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Furthermore, we, the representatives of our sovereign nations do hereby declare in mutual friendship and respect, our commitment to work together to:
Ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights and equal opportunity for women at all levels of political, economic, and public life;
Improve and secure access to health and development gains for women, including sexual and reproductive health, which must always promote optimal health, the highest attainable standard of health, without including abortion;
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;
Build our health system capacity and mobilize resources to implement health and development programs that address the needs of women and children in situations of vulnerability and advance universal health coverage;
Advance supportive public health policies for women and girls as well as families, including building our healthcare capacity and mobilizing resources within our own countries, bilaterally, and in multilateral fora;
Support the role of the family as foundational to society and as a source of health, support, and care; and
Engage across the UN system to realize these universal values, recognizing that, individually we are strong, but together we are stronger. Member State Signatories
1. Kingdom of Bahrain
2. Republic of Belarus
3. Republic of Benin
4. Federative Republic of Brazil (cosponsor)
5. Burkina Faso
6. Republic of Cameroon
7. Republic of the Congo
8. Democratic Republic of the Congo
9. Republic of Djibouti
10. Arab Republic of Egypt (cosponsor)
11. Kingdom of Eswatini
12. Republic of The Gambia
13. Georgia
14. Republic of Guatemala
15. Republic of Haiti
16. Hungary (cosponsor)
17. Republic of Indonesia (cosponsor)
18. Republic of Iraq
19. Republic of Kenya
20. State of Kuwait
21. State of Libya
22. Republic of Nauru
23. Republic of Niger
24. Sultanate of Oman
25. Islamic Republic of Pakistan
26. Republic of Paraguay
27. Republic of Poland
28. Republic of Qatar
29. Russian Federation
30. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
31. Republic of Senegal
32. Republic of South Sudan
33. Republic of Sudan
34. Republic of Uganda (cosponsor)
35. United Arab Emirates
36. Republic of Zambia
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