The United States and a coalition of 31 other countries have signed onto a declaration that denies the global right to abortion and promotes “the family as foundational to society.” 
 
The declaration, officially titled the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family, is seen as a challenge to United Nations human rights bodies that have worked to protect access to abortion. It is part of a campaign by the Trump administration, led by secretary of state Mike Pompeo and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar.

While the declaration expressed views on several different areas of interest within the international community, including universal healthcare and women’s rights, each signatory also confirmed their opposition to abortion as a global right. “There is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion, consistent with the long-standing international consensus that each nation has the sovereign right to implement programs and activities consistent with their laws and policies,” the document explains.