ECLJ to Council of Europe: Stop Abortion Agenda

(Strasbourg, France) - The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) has expressed its concern about a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that promotes abortion as a preventative alternative to the abandonment of children.

At issue is a report and resolution entitled: "Preventing the first form of violence against children: abandonment at birth."  

The pro-abortion agenda contained in the resolution was discovered only after close review by the ECLJ and other non-governmental organizations.

In expressing its concern about the pro-abortion message, the ECLJ expressed its deep opposition to the qualitative assessment of life provided by the report and resolution - particularly promoting abortion over protecting life as a result of being born into inadequate social and financial circumstances.

In its filing the ECLJ stated:  "Whereas the aspiration of preventing abandonment of infants is an honorable and necessary societal goal, the ECLJ is extremely concerned with the politicization of the Draft Report and the unnecessary promotion of 'abortion rights.'"   The ECLJ also highlighted a point made by the Constitutional Court of Poland that argued:  "Under no circumstances should the personal situation and life conditions of a child be placed above the child's right to life."

The PACE report states that "Abandonment of children raises the question of access for women to contraception and abortion" (§19). The report continues saying that "A proactive policy to prevent the abandonment of newborn babies should recognise a woman's full right to freely choose pregnancy, which means legal and easier access to contraception and abortion . . ." (§33).  

The ECLJ made clear in its submission that promoting abortion as "a proactive policy to prevent the abandonment of newborn" is wrong and concluded that "it is institutionally unacceptable for the Parliamentary Assembly to promote such a worldview with its underlying shadow of social eugenics."  

In hopes of drawing attention to the pro-abortion agenda of the report and resolution, the ECLJ issued its memorandum prior to PACE discussing and voting on the resolution which is scheduled to occur on June 27, 2008.   You can read that memo here.

The ECLJ has warned about the ever-increasing culture of abortion - specifically in Europe.  The ECLJ raised concerns in a memo to PACE on the issue of "Access to Safe and Legal Abortion in Europe."  You can read that memo here.

The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) is an international law firm dedicated to protecting human rights and religious freedom in Europe and worldwide.  Attorneys for the ECLJ have served as counsel in numerous cases before the European Court of Human Rights.  Additionally, the ECLJ has special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations, and is accredited to the European Parliament.