In a rare instance of a European Union split on questions of social policy at the United Nations, Malta and Poland bravely stood against the latest efforts of U.N. bureaucrats to promote abortion. The backdrop was the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women where certain CSW leaders tried to shove into the agenda the "rights" of abortion.Poland wasn't having any of it. Radoslaw Mleczko, the Polish Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, protested the move and insisted that any actions or statements from the European Union referring to sexual and reproductive health must not include abortion rights.
Malta followed suit as two days later, the head of Malta’s mission to the U.N., Ambassador Saviour F. Borg was quoted, “Malta would like to clarify its position with respect to the language relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights in the [EU] statement. Malta firmly continues to maintain that any position taken or recommendations made regarding women’s empowerment and gender equality should not in any way create an obligation on any party to consider abortion as a legitimate form of reproductive health rights, services or commodities.”
My commendations to the principled leaders of these two great nations. Indeed, I have sent along brief notes of appreciation and I encourage you to do the same.
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations
9 East 66th Street
New York , NY 10065
E-mail: General.Mailbox@PolandUN.org
Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations
249 East 35th Street
New York, N.Y. 10016 USA
The only e-mail I could find is that of Malta's embassy in Washington, D.C. That's okay; send it there anyway. I'm sure they'll pass it on to the right people.
E-mail: maltaembassy.washington@gov.mt
