The federal government under President Donald Trump has rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), a coalition of 40 signatory countries that uphold the right to life of the unborn and affirm national sovereignty with regard to pro-life laws and policies.
The GCD states that “every human being has the inherent right to life” and declares that there is no international obligation to promote or fund abortion. The declaration also promotes holistic strategies for advancing women’s health and well-being, including maternal care, education, and economic development.
The United States was a founding member of the GCD, but the Biden administration exited the coalition by Executive Order in January 2021. The Trump administration’s decision to rejoin the GCD sends a clear message that the United States is committed to advancing a pro-life stance on the world stage and that there is no international “human right” to abortion.
Elyssa Koren, an international human rights lawyer for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, said that the decision to rejoin the GCD carries significant legal weight in that it prevents the emergence of a false “human right” to abortion by customary international law.
Valerie Huber, the founder and president of the Institute for Women’s Health (IWH) and architect of the Geneva Consensus Declaration, commended Trump for fulfilling his promise to rejoin the GCD. She said that the decision sends a bold message that the United States stands with sovereign nations to defend the real health needs of women against coercive tactics by global power players.
Huber said that before the GCD was put in place, developing nations were “drowned out by intimidation and even threats for silence” and that ideology was taking priority over real health. She said that abortion “is not a fundamental human right” and that it’s up to countries to decide themselves.
The GCD provides a platform for developing nations to have a voice and to negotiate policies that prioritize their health and well-being. Huber said that the coalition is important for multilateral negotiation and that the decision to rejoin the GCD shows that women’s health is going to be about women’s health again.
