IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1482 

To condemn the efforts of the Human Rights Committee of the United 

Nations and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to pressure and coerce the democratically 

elected government of the Republic of Ireland to reduce or eliminate 

its constitutionally established abortion restrictions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 

Mr. MCCOTTER (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

To condemn the efforts of the Human Rights Committee 

of the United Nations and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against 

Women to pressure and coerce the democratically elected 

government of the Republic of Ireland to reduce or eliminate its constitutionally established abortion restrictions. 

Whereas the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations (in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘Human 

Rights Committee’’) monitors states who are parties to 

the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 

(in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘Covenant’’), to determine if a state has complied with and implemented the 

terms of the Covenant; 


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•HRES 1482 IH 

Whereas the United Nations Committee on the Elimination 

of Discrimination against Women (in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘CEDAW’’) monitors states who are parties to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms 

of Disrimination Against Women (in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘Convention’’), to determine if a state 

has complied with and implemented the terms of the 

Convention; 

Whereas the unelected members of Human Rights Committee 

and the CEDAW operate without any formal oversight 

and are entirely unaccountable to the United Nations 

System and Member States; 

Whereas the unelected members of the Human Rights Committee and the CEDAW use General Comments and General Recommendations, respectively, to change the meaning of the Covenant and the Convention from the original 

text negotiated by the sovereign states; 

Whereas no United Nations human rights treaty, including 

the Covenant and the Convention, mentions the word 

‘‘abortion’’, or establishes or implies a right to abortion; 

Whereas, on August 20, 1999, the CEDAW pressured the 

democratically elected government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting abortion, by issuing a 

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women which stated ‘‘. . . the Committee 

is concerned that, with very limited exceptions, abortion 

remains illegal in Ireland.’’, and stated that the government of Ireland ought to ‘‘. . . facilitate a national dialogue on women’s reproductive rights, including on the 

restrictive abortion laws.’’; 


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•HRES 1482 IH 

Whereas, on July 24, 2000, the Human Rights Committee 

attempted to coerce democratically the elected government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting abortion, implying that the Covenant obligates 

the Republic to do so, by issuing Concluding Observations on Ireland of the Human Rights Committee that 

stated ‘‘[t]he State should ensure that women are not 

compelled to continue with pregnancies where that is incompatible with obligations arising under the Covenant 

(art. 7) and General Comment No. 28.’’; 

Whereas, on July 22, 2005, the CEDAW pressured the 

democratically elected government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting abortion by issuing 

Concluding Comments on Ireland that stated ‘‘. . . the 

Committee reiterates its concern about the consequences 

of the very restrictive abortion laws under which abortion 

is prohibited except where it is established as a matter 

of probability that there is a real and substantial risk to 

the life of the mother that can be averted only by the termination of her pregnancy.’’; 

Whereas, on July 22, 2005, the CEDAW admitted in its 

Concluding Comments on Ireland, that ‘‘extensive national dialogue had occurred [in Ireland] on the issue of 

abortion, with five separate referendums held on three 

separate occasions.’’, but again pressured the democratically elected government of the Republic of Ireland to 

change its laws restricting abortion (while ignoring the 

rejection by the Irish people of five measures to liberalize 

those abortion laws) by ‘‘. . . urging the State party to 

continue to facilitate a national dialogue on women’s 

right to reproductive health, including the very restrictive 

abortion laws.’’; 


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Whereas, on July 30, 2008, the Concluding Observations on 

Ireland of the Human Rights Committee strongly pressured and attempted to coerce the democratically elected 

government of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws 

restricting abortion, implying that the laws contravene 

the Convention, by stating ‘‘[t]he Committee reiterates 

its concern regarding the highly restrictive circumstances 

under which women can lawfully have an abortion in the 

State party.’’, and ‘‘[t]he State party should bring its 

abortion laws into line with the Covenant.’’; and 

Whereas the established pattern of pressure and attempted 

coercion from the Human Rights Committee and the 

CEDAW against the democratically elected government 

of the Republic of Ireland to change its laws restricting 

abortion represents a microcosm of the efforts of the 

United Nations Human Rights Treaty System (with the 

present exception of the Committee on Migrant Workers) 

to pressure and coerce over 80 states to change their 

laws restricting abortions: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the efforts of the Human Rights 

3 Committee of the United Nations and the United 

4 Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimi5 nation against Women to pressure and coerce the 

6 democratically elected government of the Republic of 

7 Ireland to reduce or eliminate its constitutionally es8 tablished abortion restrictions; 

9 (2) strongly rebukes the efforts of the Human 

10 Rights Committee of the United Nations and the 


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1 United Nations Committee on the Elimination of 

2 Discrimination against Women to interpret the 

3 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 

4 and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms 

5 of Disrimination Against Women as establishing the 

6 right to abortion; 

7 (3) calls into question the merit of using United 

8 States taxpayer-generated revenues to support the 

9 Human Rights Committee of the United Nations 

10 and the United Nations Committee on the Elimi11 nation of Discrimination against Women in light of 

12 the consistent work of the committees to promote 

13 the practice of abortion around the world; and 

14 (4) urges countries with restrictions on the 

15 practice of abortion to remain steadfast in the time16 honored traditions and verities of their cultures, 

17 which recognize that every human being, born or un18 born, has an inherent right to life, despite the pres19 sure and coercion by the members of the United Na20 tions Human Rights Treaty System, whose positions 

21 and views on abortion are increasingly influenced by 

22 pro-abortion, non-governmental organizations such 

23 as the Center for Reproductive Rights, the InterVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:17 Sep 24, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1482.IH HR1482

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1 national Women’s Health Coalition, and the Inter2 national Planned Parenthood Federation. 

Æ 


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