Hillary Clinton: “It’s Really Embarrassing” U.S. Hasn’t Adopted Pro-Abortion Treaty

International   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 18, 2014   |   4:38PM   |   Washington, DC

A new report indicates Hillary Clinton told a meeting of pro-abortion activists that it’s “really embarrassing” that the United States hasn’t adopted the CEDAW treaty that would promote abortion.

From CFAM:

“It is embarrassing, I mean, really, it’s embarrassing.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a conference room of international feminists and abortion advocates that the US is a long way from ratifying the UN treaty on discrimination against women, “not for lack of trying, but for absence of support.”

hillaryclinton8Clinton was the final speaker last Friday at a two-day feminist conference called “Women and Girls Rising” at the Ford Foundation in New York., which began with remarks by Gloria Steinem and was organized by the author of a glowing biography of Margaret Sanger. Former Clinton administration chief of staff John Podesta also expressed embarrassment over the non-ratification of CEDAW, adding that many “think that the United States can’t ratify anything these days.”

The CEDAW treaty would promote abortion and the CEDAW treaty compliance committee at the UN has pressured pro-life nations to weaken their laws prohibiting abortions and protecting women and unborn children.

For example, the CEDAW committee has pressured at least 83 countries to liberalize their abortion laws, despite the treaty being silent on the issue.  This strategy was successful in Colombia, where the constitutional court overturned the nation’s abortion laws, using CEDAW committee recommendations to support the holding.

Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey is the leading pro-life member of Congress and he says the treaty is a particular concern. The document is billed as supporting the rights of women, but it has been used to pressure nations to legalize abortions, he says.

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Smith points out that, although the CEDAW treaty doesn’t specifically require the legalization of abortion, “A review of statements and recommendations over the past decade reveals that the CEDAW Committee has established a pattern of using the Convention to pressure countries to rescind pro-life laws.”

Under Article 12 of the treaty, Smith notes “The Committee has established a pattern of using this document to trample on the most fundamental right, the right to life, as well as freedom of conscience for men and women around the world.

“Dozens of countries have laws protecting women and their babies from the violence that is euphemistically referred to as abortion. These countries are routinely targeted by the CEDAW Committee,” his letter says. “The Committee has even gone so far as to pressure countries to impose provisions that would force pro-life health care professionals to do abortions in violation of their conscience — all this in the name of human rights.”

Although the CEDAW treaty contains worthy goals on other issues, he says approval by the United States will empower it to promote abortion further.

“If CEDAW is ratified by the Senate,” Rep. Smith warns, “the United States will not escape their overreaching efforts to impose abortion on our country as an international obligation.”