Sofia Flores Colombres- President Melissa Peniche Yunes - Moderator 1 Daniela Navarro Buendía - First Official assistant

World Health Organization

of the organization is currently Dr. Tedros Adhanom Topic B: Global access to Ghebreyesus. The World Health Organization is a assisted, safe and legal worldwide standard on medical and related issues in the in special cases modern-day. One of the most relevant and ongoing situations the World Health Organization is currently analyzing is establishing global access to assisted, safe and legal INTRODUCTION abortion in special cases. First of all, the term “abortion” is defined as the removal of pregnancy tissue, products The world has always tried to evolve and adapt to the of conception and placenta from the uterus of a female growth of current medical-related circumstances; to terminate a pregnancy. There are various other terms in order to provide worldwide standards, solutions, for abortion, such as elective abortion, termination of humanitarian aid, and much more. The World Health pregnancy, therapeutic abortion, along with others. Organization (WHO) was officially established on April 7, 1948, after the Constitution adopted by the International Nowadays, abortion policies and laws vary among Health Conference came into place. This organization nations and individual states across the globe, currently counts with 7,000 individuals from 150 depending on each of the countries’ current needs. countries in 150 national offices around the world. It has As a medical definition, abortion is defined as the its headquarters in Geneva. complete removal of a pregnancy. Now, the making of this procedure around the world has different conditions The purpose of the World Health Organization is in what will be illegal and what would lay within the to “promote health, keep the world safe, and serve law. Legal abortion is the one made inside parameters the vulnerable” (Paul, 1963). This organization is a started by the government. Abortion is only considered subsidiary of the General Assembly, and the director legal when all the conditions in which the procedure 2

develops are following the law and the constitutional such policies are Iran, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and amendments of the nation. others. The last legality status of abortion is where the procedure is entirely banned, some of the regions with The legality of abortion is determined by each nation, this final status are Iraq, El Salvador, Chile, Malta, the but there are currently 5 legal status of abortion in a Philippines, and other 26 countries (Beale, 2018). worldwide consideration. The first one is that abortion is allowed without restriction as to a reason, which The access to abortion started to become illegal in means that there is no need for the patient to present a the 1800s, due to many reasons variating on the state reason to do the procedure. Some nations who present in which the law was being applied. One of the most this first legal term of abortion are Denmark, Austria, common reasons was the racial fear of immigrant China, Cuba, Switzerland, among others. The second children making up the majority of the population. legal condition is when abortion is only permitted with Abortion started to become regulated due to poor previous analysis on socioeconomic grounds, such as health care services and the lack of medical knowledge laws regarding economic resources, age and marital to perform an abortion accurately. Hospitals were status. Some of the countries with this legal position are rare, antiseptics were yet to be invented and medical Finland, Portugal, Barbados, Japan, Iceland and so forth. education was very low even in the most prestigious doctors (Khazan, 2018). Continuing with legal abortion status, another legality contributor to allow abortion is recognizing the Abortion started to become a taboo in an attempt by safeguard of the woman’s mental and physical health, doctors to provide and regulate the rights to practice as well as her life. Some of the nations that follow medicine and obtain a bigger profit. Doctors looked to the previously mentioned laws are Colombia, Algeria, prevent practitioners from medicine, and that could New Zealand. Thailand and Israel. When abortion be easily achieved when one simple procedure was becomes restricted, abortion legality is only allowed criminalized, in this case, abortion. Therefore, the when protecting a woman’s life. Some countries with American Medical Association started campaigns 3

stating that abortion was immoral and an extreme Another way abortion affects countries is by managing procedure. By 1910, abortion was banned to practice equality index in both genders since the right to an unless a woman’s life was at risk. abortion is sometimes related to equality and women empowerment movements. It also disturbs nations Some of the most involved countries in restrictive because can influence birth rates dropping, abortion legality status and with high death rates are El such as the case of New Zealand. In New Zealand, it is Salvador, Argentina, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, North estimated that a woman averages 1.81 births during her Korea, Afghanistan, Haiti, Bolivia, Honduras, Paraguay, lifetime, while the global average is approximately 2.5. Yemen, and so forth. Other nations where abortions are (Oberman, 2018) completely illegal and strictly punished are Andorra, Iraq, Nicaragua, Senegal, Philippines, Laos among Overall, only 37% of the world’s women live in countries others. Some of the countries with leading abortion where abortion is completely allowed and at least policies are Belgium, Germany, Singapore, Canada, the 23,000 women die from unsafe abortions. At the same United States, Puerto Rico, among others. (Berer, 2017). time, 78% of abortions worldwide take place outside of a clinic, showing that 17,000,000 abortions are done The impact of abortion in the population and medical illegally in a global matter. Abortion in 2019 is illegal aspects vary depending on the country. One of the main in 26 countries: Andorra, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, ways abortion affects countries is on the impact these Congo-Kinshasa, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El procedures have on health service budgets. This means Salvador, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, that abortion procedures need a lot of the health budget Laos, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, for being able to provide them in a safe way. (Oberman, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Palau, Philippines, San Marino, 2018) In Canada, about 50% of the health services Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Suriname and Tonga. budget is used on abortion-related matters. This shows (Dixon-Mueller, 1990). a huge impact on the rest of the health care necessities of the general population. A third of the population in developing countries lives 4

where abortion is illegal or only allowed in special abortion policies come from almost any demographic cases. This has resulted in only 1 in 4 abortions being sector. The sector which struggles economically is safe in some countries. In these same abortions, there actually the sector that is far more likely to have an are numerous possible physical complications that abortion. Also, racial factors have been proved to play are barely treated. 97% of these unsafe abortions a role in abortions, with 35% of dark-skinned women underwent in developing nations. In Asia, 1 in 2 getting an abortion done, followed by Hispanic women abortions was safe, and in Africa 1 in 4 were safe. Asia (Riley, 2018). Also, women in developed regions has a has about 35.5 million abortions each year, South higher likelihood to undergo an abortion procedure on a America 6.5 million and in Africa 8.2 million abortions in 36 compared to 27 per 1,000 as to developed regions. total. (Starrs, 2016). HISTORICAL BACKGROUND There are currently 61 countries with category 4 on abortion laws, which means that they have the most Abortion is one of the most ancient procedures, with liberal laws in the world and provide greater health records from societies such as the Egyptians, found services to its own citizens. These countries only in the Ebers Papyrus. Records show that Persians and represent 39.5% of the world’s population and they Romans were also in knowledge of the procedure and are mostly located in North America, Europe, and it was common. Jewish and Muslim texts declared Central/Eastern Asia. On the other hand, 25% of the knowledge of an abortion process and banning ideas world’s population resides in nations where abortion is started to emerge. The earliest records of banning forbidden or only allowed in order to save a woman’s life. abortion come from the 11th century BCE, in the Code (Abdullaeva, 2012). 56 countries allow abortion without of Assura, which assures the death penalty to women a reason, 35 deny abortions, and 34 make an exception who undergo an abortion without the consent of their to save a life. husband. It wasn’t until the 19th century, that abortion through the dilatation and curettage method was made Data recollected has shown that women involved with possible, by the invention of the Hegar dilator in 1879. 5

This artifact made surgical abortion easier and safer for birth rates were higher. both the surgeon and the patient. By the end of the 19th century, abortion was legally The Ebers Papyrus, a compilation of ancient Egyptian restricted. The most important sources of such laws medical texts, states that an abortion can be instigated were the imperial countries of Europe, such as Britain, with the utilization of a plant-fiber tampon covered France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy; who imposed their with an aggravate that included nectar and pulverized own laws according to abortion on their colonies. dates. Later on, commonly grown , such as Between the range of 1967 and 1973, 33% of the states silphium (most expensive and important plant in ancient changed or revoked their criminal fetus removal laws. years), were used to initiate premature births and In any case, the privilege to have a premature birth in abortion, even though they were extremely toxic and all states was possibly made accessible to American dangerous. Abortion is never expressly referenced in women in 1973, when the Supreme Court struck down the Bible, however, it is realized that ancient Egyptians, the staying prohibitive state laws. Persians, and Romans, would commit it on their particular times. The main nation to change its fetus removal law was the Soviet Union, on October 1920, spearheaded by women’s In the late 1800s, emergency clinics were not common, activist Alexandra Kollantai, through a declaration on cleaning agents were obscure, and even the most medicinal services for women. Since that time, the regarded specialists had crude restorative training. change in the dynamic law of premature birth has been States began passing laws in order to make abortion advocated for reasons of general welfare and human illicit, such anti-abortion laws differed from state to rights, to move smaller families forward for population state. The and natural reasons, and on the basis of an improved women’s education and financial status, in contrast feelings of dread emerged, due that the society had the to childbearing. Perhaps, in particular, the control of possibility of being dominated by immigrants whose wealth has, in fact, proved attainable and adequate in 6

practically all societies today. Supreme Court Judgement often referred to as the Roe V. Wade case. However, notwithstanding 100 years of crusading for safe fetus removal, the utilization of contraception After World War II, women were urged to enter the has been totally decriminalized. Meanwhile, premature labor force, and fetus removal ended up becoming birth has not ceased fetus removal, being wrongdoing legalized. The instances of the Catholic church and the on the off chance that it was “done in accordance with Soviet Union represent a similar point. Premature birth some basic honesty for the reason just of safeguarding enactment was not in the hands of women. By 1973, the life of the mother.” This change authoritatively perceived a little-focused on the highlight of hostile to pressure for reform had led 14 states to liberalize their premature birth laws; they were regularly proposed to existing abortion laws, and the US Supreme Court finally shield women from a hazardous therapeutic strategy, ruled that abortion is a private matter between a woman and not to ensure the life of the baby. and her doctor.

In the 1920s English law added a clause that stopped In other Latin American nations, abortion laws have abortion being a crime if it was “done in good faith for remained exceedingly prohibitive, regardless of multiple the purpose only of preserving the life of the mother”. clashes for women’s sexual and contraceptive rights and In 1938, the case of R. Bourne ruled for a fetus removal human rights for over 30 years. Subsequently, women performed on a 14-year-old young lady who had have started to bring matters into their own hands. been assaulted. The court felt that the young lady’s An uncounted number of women, presumably in the psychological well-being would have endured if she millions, has been getting and utilizing to had actually conceived the child. This set up that the self-induced premature birth on the law. mother’s psychological languishing could be adequate reason over a premature birth. In 1973, abortions International organizations that focus on respecting became legal in America after the controversial human rights have characterized laws generally 7

criminalizing abortion as a barrier to women’s access 1996-2013. Adopted from “United Nations”, by United to health care. They have suggested that States Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs remove corrective arrangements for women who Population Division, 2014, United Nations. Retrieved have suffered from the procedure of abortion. These on April 18, 2019, from https://www.un.org/en/ bodies have mentioned that States license premature development/desa/population/publications/pdf/policy/ birth in specific cases. It’s significant to negotiate AbortionPoliciesReproductiveHealth.pdf Copyright 2014 body jurisprudence given that it has unmistakably by the United Nations. demonstrated denying women’s access to abortion Figure 1 where there is a risk to the women’s life or wellbeing, or CURRENT RELEVANCE where the pregnancy is the consequence of an assault. Figure 2. Changes in the legal ground for abortion, “Legal abortion should be safe and accessible” is also 1996-2013. Adopted from “United Nations”, by United a position supported by political commitments of Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs States undertaken at the International Conference on Population Division, 2014, United Nations. Retrieved Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in on April 18, 2019, from https://www.un.org/en/ 1994. During the Conference, States perceived perilous development/desa/population/publications/pdf/policy/ abortion as a noteworthy general wellbeing concern and AbortionPoliciesReproductiveHealth.pdf Copyright 2014 promised their responsibility to lessen the requirement by the United Nations. for abortion. They stated that they will achieve such through an extended and improved family arranging Worldwide, there are about 700 million of women administrations, recognizing the circumstances, and in reproductive age and from them, only 6% live in standing firmly with the statement of “abortion should countries where abortion is strictly prohibited. It be safe”. is estimated that, during the 2010-2014 period, 36 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years occurred Figure 2 Figure 1. Changes in the legal ground for abortion, in the developing regions each year, compared with 27 8

Figure 3

in the developed regions. The abortion rate decreased Abortions occur with similar frequency in countries significantly in the developed regions from 1990- classified in the two most restrictive categories. Some 1994, however, no significant change occurred in the examples are Colombia and Algeria (totally prohibited developing regions. (Guttmacher Institute, 2017) or allowed only to save a woman’s life) and in countries in the least restrictive categories, for example, Denmark The most pronounced decrease in abortion rates and Austria (allowed without restriction as to reason): occurred in Eastern Europe, where the use of effective 37 and 34 per 1,000 women, respectively. contraceptives has increased at a rapid rate, as well as the abortion rate in the developing subregion of Figure 3. Global and regional estimates of induced Central Asia. Both subregions include states of the abortion, 1990-1994, and 2010-2014. Adopted from former Soviet bloc, where the availability of modern “Guttmacher Institute”, by Guttmacher Institute, contraceptives increased after political independence. Guttmacher Institute. This exemplifies how abortion is reduced when the use of effective contraceptives increased. Retrieved on April 18, 2019, from https://www. guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide Numerous nations have authorized total bans on Copyright 2019 by Guttmacher Institute. abortion. In different states, abortion is profoundly confined; there even exists a special case for the On the vast majority, women with 20-24 years of age method to spare a woman’s life, or in instances of tend to show the highest abortion rate of any age assault, interbreeding or fetal hindrance. Most nations group, and women in their twenties account for the have progressively tolerant abortion laws. Such laws majority of abortions. In developed regions, adolescent allow abortion without confinement and with restrictions abortion rates are quite low (for example, 3-16 per 1,000 that take into consideration the woman’s physical and for women aged 15-19) and have been continuously mental health, well as her and the countries’ economic declining. Meanwhile, in developing nations, adolescent or social state. abortion rates are constantly changing, although they 9

are high (for example, 11- 44 per 1,000 for women aged nearly three million never receive treatment” (Cohen, 15-19). 2009).

In the U.S, there have been 56.5 million abortions The United Nations has implemented measures to give between 1973- 2013, with a rate of 219 abortions per access to abortion mainly through the World Health 1,000 live births. It is considered that per year 1.058 Organization (WHO). WHO has advised all Member million abortions happen, in a day 2,899 in an hour 120, States to remove punitive provisions for women who and 1 abortion per 30 seconds. Such data is an estimate have undergone an abortion. It also has asked for and only includes abortions carried in surgical and governments to allow abortions in special cases. Certain medical ways. (All Life League, 2019). jurisprudences have indicated international authorities that denying abortion, where pregnancy results into Having an unsafe, unassisted and illegal abortion brings risking a woman’s life or when the pregnancy is a result plenty of complications to the women’s health. The of rape, violates the right of health, privacy, and in some Guttmacher Institute, 2003, revealed that of almost conditions to be free from inhumane treatment. 42 million worldwide abortions, 20 million of them are unsafe and illegal. “According to the World Health In June 2017, the United Nations Development Organization, is the cause of 70,000 Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund, WHO and maternal deaths each year—or one in eight pregnancy- others, in collaboration with the Population Division of related deaths among women. That translates to seven the United Nations Department of Economic and Social women per hour. Approximately eight million more Affairs (UN DESA), launched a new, open-access Global women per year suffer post-abortion complications that Abortion Policies Database. Such Database contains can lead to short- or long-term consequences, including reasonable information on abortion laws and policies. anemia, prolonged weakness, chronic inflammation of Its intention is to reinforce worldwide and national the reproductive tract and secondary infertility. Of the endeavors to eliminate dangerous premature births. women who experience serious complications each year, 10

Figure 4

It will encourage explicit examinations of the nation’s and for 33 live birth, 10 babies were aborted. It was abortion laws and arrangements, setting them with predicted that 59 million deaths globally will occur by regard to data and suggestions from WHO. It will provide the end of the year. As a matter of fact, this number strategic direction on safe fetus removal, it does not does not include unborn babies ‘ abortion deaths, address how laws and policies are applied in practice. since they are not recognized as human beings. The database counts with 5-year updates by formal (Worldometers, 2018) engagement with countries through WHO’s country offices and the health ministry. Figure 4. Distribution of Abortion. Adopted from “WHO”, 2017, WHO, WHO. Retrieved on April 2, 2019, from Abortion in 2018 has been one of the first causes of https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-09-2017- death. The data compiled by Worldometers show about worldwide-an-estimated-25-million-unsafe-abortions- 42 million abortions have been made worldwide last occur-each-year Copyright 2019 by WHO. year, this site recollects data from the government and other official organizations and then report them INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS with estimations and further proposals based on the statistics. Breitbart News Network compared the Access to assisted, safe and legal abortion is sought number of miscarriages with other causes of death by many international entities and with the cooperation such as VIH/SIDA, car accidents, and suicide, however, of governments and NGOs. An important organization abortion has overcome. Taking into account numbers: at that works on a global scale for providing safe abortion the end of December 2018, there have been about 41,9 and post abortion care is the Mary Stopes International. million and 8.2 million people have been diagnosticated This organization works in cooperation with 17 African with cancer, 5 million from diseases caused by smoking countries, 8 countries in Pacific Asia, 4 countries in and 1.7 HIV/AIDS patients pass away. South Asia, 2 in Latin America and 3 in the middle east, along with the help of governmental entities of the In the world, 23% of pregnancies were ended in 2018 United States of America. 11

The Mary Stopes International foundation has the abortion. They lead them to examine and discuss how purpose of providing contraception and safe abortion to to get governmental entities to promote the right to women in developing countries, along with the help of an abortion. In between the people who took part in government offices. this forum were abortion rights advocates, academics, researches, legal experts and more individuals who This organization has also published a series of papers shared knowledge and experience. stating in what conditions should abortions be allowed and how regulated they must be in the modern-day. The Congressional Research Service has been working Along with their other actions, they have established as an intergovernmental department for the United centers, done a lot of campaigning and volunteer States of America. It has been establishing a series of recruiting, along with social franchising. proposals for the Supreme Court to review abortion laws in the United States. The main job of this research Another international entity that has been in continuous service is to analyze data from the past years, such work to provide legal abortion and post-abortion care as judicial content, legislative actions, and public is the International Campaign for Women’s Right to response and use that pool of data to propose new Safe Abortion. One of their main goals is to create an ideas to the Supreme Court. They have been proposing international network of certain organizations that can several abortion laws per state in the United States build interest in governments into taking action for legal that establish safe, assisted and legal abortion in life- abortion. They also have built a platform for creating threatening conditions or conditions that affect the advocacy, generating debate, dialogue and the sharing integrity of the mother. of skills and experience. On the most recent achievements of the Congressional Part of their actions was creating a forum from Research Service, on March 23, 2018. It was bill September 5 to 7 in 2018, in order to bring together authorized by the United States President, Donald leaders that have cultivated opinions regarding Trump, and it proposed that the modern health 12

plan would cover certain abortions if it covered the relations with a guardian, mental subnormality and fetal conditions established such as life-threatening abnormality” (Earley, Martin; 2018). conditions. It also provided ideas for a new health plan that contained wider establishments on reproductive The current protocol has now developed into the health and rights for women. analyzing of three new abortion policies to replace the Crimes Act of 1961. These new proposals seek to treat Kenya’s Center for has been abortion in much more of a health issue and try to working as a governmental foundation to establish include the medical aspects of it. Meanwhile, the Crimes better conditions on safe abortions. They have as a Act focuses more on the fiscal consequences of doing purpose to implement, along with the government’s an abortion. The new proposals consist of doing a test help, and provide sexual health classes to young women to ensure every abortion is appropriate (depending on and offer abortion and post-abortion services. There will the case), the use of no test and relying on a doctor’s be a reinstatement of abortion guidelines in Kenya after opinion, or a test only being made when the pregnancy a drastic rise in illegal abortions and deaths by them. is over 22 weeks. The high court has decided to work with the Center for Reproductive rights to pass safe abortion laws. This law Actions have been currently going on in abortion could mean as Bhalla (2018) states “safer abortions for policies with the reinstatement of the , thousands of women in the East African nation”. which was instituted by President Reagan in 1984. The Mexico City policy consists in the use of an NGO to New Zealand current counts with the protocol to certify that they will not perform or actively promote review new abortion policies when an abnormal death abortion as a method of family planning, in exchange rate related to abortions is presented. New Zealand for receiving foreign aid from the U.S global health is currently following the Crimes Act of 1961 which is assistance. This means that Mexico is not allowed to quoted as “an abortion under 20 weeks which can be promote abortion and will only provide it in certain a serious danger to life, any form of incest or sexual cases. 13

Mexico can only promote and provide a legal and to place standards in regulations and put in place an safe abortion in three types of situations. The first example for the same countries to follow. UN ACTIONS one consists when the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s life or is a result of sexual assault. The second The Human Rights Committee has asked all countries condition is treating the injuries caused by a previous that form part of the United Nations to provide legal or illegal abortion, this is considered as post- information about safe abortion access and services abortion care. The third situation in which Mexico can for pregnant women who have been through an assault. promote and provide abortion is when as Kates and Treaty bodies have recommended verifying legislations, Moss (2017) state: in order to decriminalize abortion in cases when the life product is in danger, when the mother’s health is “A safe, legal abortion may be obtained if the question is critical, pregnancy as a result of sexual assault, incest or specifically asked by a woman who is already pregnant, even fetal impairment. she clearly states that she has already decided to have a legal abortion, and the family planning counselor Other abortion exceptions, discussed by Human Rights, reasonably believes that the ethics of the medical have been to protect women’s mental health, including profession in the country requires a response regarding girls with an intellectual disability. WHO found that where it may be obtained safely”. mental suffering caused by forcing a woman to continue with the unwanted pregnancy is cruel, for example In general, countries have been working on developing for those who have been through sexual assault or for laws and programs to embrace the use of public health women that know the baby would eventually pass away services in case of abortions and prosecuting and after birth. banning the use of illegal methods which only harm the integrity of women and those that surround them. As another measure taken by the international As will be discussed further, governments are also community, the International Conference on Population searching for the help of international organizations and Development (ICPD) took place in Cairo to discuss 14

matters related to the development of women in the include good quality legal abortion services and those general society. Some of the countries such as China must be available, accessible and acceptable. The and Switzerland presented to don’t establish abortion Committee on the Rights of the Child has proposed to as a major health concern for the general population the Member States to ensure access to safe abortion and committed to reducing abortion needs for family and post-abortion treatments. The Committee on the planning services but continues to provide legal Elimination of Discrimination Against Women stated abortion. that a framework for legal abortion must be “included a mechanism in order to have quick decision-making Another action was a document gathered on the Fourth for decrease mother health risks and to take into World Conference on Women by international entities account her opinion”. (Information Series on Sexual and which took the name of “The Beijing Platform for Reproductive Health and Rights: Abortion, n.d) Action”. This documents supported the ideas projected in the International Conference on Population and “A case of a 17-year-old-girl in Peru cause that United Development, such as the official compromise for Nations Committee declared abortion as a Human Right, reducing the need for an abortion as well as providing the fetus was diagnosed with anencephaly at 14 weeks’ these services as part of the public healthcare plan. gestation. In this country abortion was legal under this On another implementation by the United Nations, the circumstance, however, the director of the hospital General Assembly further reviewed the actions and refused the request, so she was forced to continue with compromises of the last two conferences and agreed the pregnancy, moreover the fetus just survived only 4 on the providing of abortion as a primary measure to days. Legal actions were taken, and lawyers announced safeguard the health of a woman. the UN Committee, they concluded that Peru had violated articles of the International Covenant on Civil The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural and Political Rights and ordered financial compensation Rights has stipulated that the reproductive and to the patient. This case was the first time that the sexual health requires medical services and it must 15

Committee of the United Nations made responsible of preventing and managing unsafe abortions and to a country for not guarantee the access to safe, legal provide good services for safe abortion where it is not abortion since the action made by the doctors was against the law. declared as cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.” (Women on waves, 2003) On the other hand, such organization points to governments to prioritize unwanted pregnancy The ruling has global implications, especially in prevention with the purpose of eradicating the need for developing countries, since 2003 abortions cases had aborting. They declared “deal with the health impact increased by 2.8 million, according to Guttmacher of unsafe abortion as a major public health concern”. Institute. In these regions, the medical procedure has Since the International Conference on Population and been performed unsafely, even though generally it is not Development, many governments have modified legal considered as one. About 13% of maternal deaths are provisions and made new programs to provide safe attributed to unsafe abortion, according to the Human abortion, as well as policies to improve reproductive Rights Watch. In Latin America 95% and in Africa 97% health services. (Abortion Policies and Reproductive of abortions were unsafe and investigators notice that Health around the World, 2014) legal abortion is associated with safer procedures in 2008, according to Guttmacher Institute. POINTS TO DISCUSS

The United Nations Programme of Actions spoke up 1. Statics about the rights of couples to decide the number a. What are the conditions for access to safe and legal and timing of children; the right to information and abortion? access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable b. Which ones are the more commonly affected sectors? methods of family planning; and good quality health- c. What are the statics regarding illegal abortion? care that ensures healthy childbirth and pregnancy. It also has been taken into consideration the importance d. How can abortion be considered illegal worldwide? 16

e. What legal actions has the international community done for forbidding abortion worldwide? 2. UN f. How can illegal abortion be solved? a. What are the action measures implemented by the g. How can legal abortion stop? UN on the relation to the conflict? h. The current number of countries directly affected. b. What current actions has the UN done for trying to i. What are the actual measures for abortion worldwide? solve the conflict? j. How can there be access to free and safe abortion in c. Which ones are the agencies related to the topic? developing countries? d. Which ones are the current agreements made by the k. How can abortion stop a worldwide taboo? UN about the conflict? l. What measures can be taken? e. What is the current importance of the topic in UN sessions? m. What actions has the international community done for solving the conflict? n. What UN actions are related to the topic? (evolution) 17

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