November 30, 2004

LifeSiteNews.com

A United Nations committee has urged two of the five countries in the world which prohibit all abortions to legalize abortion. Chile and Malta were before the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, earlier this month. The committee ruled on Friday, that the countries should allow abortion in cases of rape and incest.

The committee is set up to monitor compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). Like all other UN documents, the CESCR does not officially contain clauses requiring the legalization of abortion.

Nonetheless, in official recommendations to Chile, released November 26, the CESCR committee said, "The Committee recommends that the State party revise its legislation and decriminalize abortion in cases of therapeutic abortions and when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest."