UK in diplomatic standoff over deletion of abortion rights from gender statement

[niyad]

Women's right to choose

UK in diplomatic standoff over deletion of abortion rights from gender statement

Exclusive: Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands refuse to sign edited version, drawing up new phrasing including women and girls’ sexual and reproductive rights

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The statement was drawn up during the international ministerial conference on freedom of religion or belief, held in the UK in early July. Photograph: Courtesy of FCDO


The UK government is in a diplomatic standoff with three European countries over a statement on gender equality that it changed to remove commitments to women’s reproductive and sexual health rights. Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands are refusing to sign the edited version unless their concerns “are taken into consideration”, a spokesperson for the Dutch foreign ministry told the Guardian on Thursday. The countries have drawn up alternative phrasing and circulated their suggestions among all governments who participated in the international ministerial conference on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) that took place in London at the start of July. “Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands will not sign the current amended version unless our concerns on the inclusion of [sexual and reproductive health and rights] are taken into consideration, and have yesterday delivered counterproposals to that effect,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), under whose auspices the conference was held, initially said the edits were made to clear up “a perceived ambiguity”, but has since said it made the changes in order to focus on “core issues and ensure consensus between signatories”. However, the second version of the statement, which was put online days after the conference had wrapped up, has just eight signatories, including the UK, whereas the original version had 22. The original version included a commitment to the repeal of any laws that “allow harmful practices, or restrict women’s and girls’ … sexual and reproductive health and rights, bodily autonomy”. The changes, as well as the opaque way they were made, have also drawn fire from human rights organisations and senior politicians.
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It remains unclear who ordered the changes. The UK hosted the conference in its capacity as this year’s chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance. Fiona Bruce, the Tory MP and prime minister’s special envoy on FoRB, was heavily involved in organising the two-day event.

An FCDO spokesperson said: “The UK is committed to defending universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health rights and will continue working with other countries to protect gender equality in international agreements.”

Bruce has been approached for comment.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jul/28/uk-in-diplomatic-standoff-over-deletion-of-abortion-rights-from-gender-statement

[Emrys]

1. From Fiona Bruce MP's Wikipedia article (not to be confused with UK TV personality Fiona Bruce):

Following her selection as the Conservative Party candidate for the Congleton constituency, Bruce denied allegations that she had been chosen following an orchestrated campaign by religious groups sympathetic to her evangelical Christian beliefs. Bruce is an Evangelical Alliance council member and describes "defending and fighting for the sanctity of human life" as her priority in Parliament. She has been a member of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee since 2010.

In February 2015, Bruce introduced an amendment to the Serious Crime Bill 2014 to make abortion on the grounds of the sex of the baby illegal. The amendment was rejected by 292 votes to 201.
...
In May 2021 Bruce co-authored an essay entitled "Family Matters – the Case for Strengthening Families" with former MP, David Burrowes, for inclusion in Common Sense: Conservative Thinking for a Post-Liberal Age published by the Common Sense Group, an informal group of Conservative MPs.

shorturl.at/prS34 (copy and paste the URL to get to the correct page)

[niyad]

2. Thank you!

[T_i_B]

3. Liz Truss campaign hints at U-turn on conversion therapy ban

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/liz-truss-conversion-therapy-ban-u-turn-iain-duncan-smith/

Liz Truss “hates” her own plan to ban anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy, the director of her leadership election campaign suggested last night.

Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith strongly hinted that Truss plans to U-turn on the ban, one of her flagship policies as minister for equalities, while standing in for her at an event hosted by the Conservative Christian Fellowship (CCF) on Tuesday evening. If confirmed, it would be the third major about-face of her campaign.

Asked about the Truss campaign’s policy on the conversion therapy ban, Duncan Smith said: “I hate it. Can I be clear about that? I think when you start banning things like this you enter a maze of problems. And I absolutely believe that Liz is very much there.”

[niyad]

4. WTAF???