Diplomatic Efforts Emerge to Address Vatican, Islamic Fears on Population Conference

Strategic Insights -

As the United Nations population conference approaches, officials from the United States, Europe, and Canada are working to address Vatican and Islamic concerns about proposals that could enshrine abortion as an international right. The focus on abortion has overshadowed other areas of agreement, such as improvements in healthcare for women in developing countries and the quality of family life. Despite the controversy, the conference aims to manage resources as the planet faces potential disaster from population growth.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Union has prepared "reinterpretive language" on the use of the word "right" in the conference's preparatory documents to address Vatican complaints that proposals using the word were intended to impart a binding international right to abortion.
  • A majority of the conference's guiding document is agreed upon, with 92% of the document complete and efforts underway to reach 100% agreement.
  • Vatican officials have been intensely lobbying against conference proposals on abortion, while also refraining from objecting to other clauses in the preparatory documents on condoms and contraception.
  • The conference will carry significant financial weight, with proposals foreseeing billion-dollar spending to support measures to stabilize the earth's population at 7.27 billion over the next 20 years.
  • The conference chairwoman, Nafis Sadik, has appealed to delegates to avoid letting issues over abortion and adolescent sexuality obscure the main purpose of the conference, which is the status of women in economic development and the regulation of family size.
  • Pope John Paul II has issued a warning that the conference should not focus solely on reducing birth rates, but rather on achieving worldwide objectives through a broader agenda.

Statistics:

  • 92% of the conference's guiding document is agreed upon, with efforts underway to reach 100% agreement.
  • The European Union has proposed reinterpretive language on the use of the word "right" in the confernce's preparatory documents.
  • The conference's proposals foresee billion-dollar spending to support measures to stabilize the earth's population at 7.27 billion over the next 20 years.
  • The current estimate of the world's population is 5.66 billion, which is expected to reach 7.27 billion by the end of the 20-year period.

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • Timothy E. Wirth, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs
  • Michael Bohnet, senior German official and holder of the European Union's rotating presidency
  • Nafis Sadik, conference chairwoman
  • Pope John Paul II