Huge Pro-Life Win at Children's Summit.

Judging by the bitter tenor of the press coverage and the multitude of complaints from pro-abortion groups, there can be only one conclusion about the May 8-10 UN Special Session for Children, otherwise known as the Children's Summit: it was a huge pro-life victory due in large measure to a pro-life, pro-family coalition led by the United States delegation.

"Many nations played an important role, but clearly the pro-life, pro-family success at the Children's Summit was the result of the Bush Administration's determination to keep language that could be construed to condone abortion out of the final document," said Jeanne Head, R.N., who is National Right to Life's representative at the UN and also serves as a United Nations representative for the International Right to Life Federation (IRTLF).

According to Head, the exceptional and dedicated work in defense of life, children, and the family by the U.S. delegation reflects a sea change in U.S. policy at these UN meetings and conferences under the Bush Administration.

Head said the contrast with the Clinton Administration could not have been clearer. Under Clinton, the U.S. delegation played a key pro abortion leadership role. The Clinton Administration, working hand in glove with the European Union (EU), Canada, and other like-minded nations, was dedicated to inserting language into UN documents that has been used to pressure countries to change their laws against abortion and that could ultimately be used to establish abortion as a fundamental human "right" worldwide.

In contrast, the Bush-appointed pro-life delegation worked unceasingly not only to stave off anti-life initiatives, but also to make positive changes that not so long ago would have seemed almost impossible.

Head told NRL News that the document is titled "A World Fit for Children." She said, "It was the position of the United States and its allies in this fight that it is the height of hypocrisy to believe that a document that embraces language that includes the destruction of unborn children could possibly help create `a world fit for children.'"

The summit brought together some 3,000 delegates from more than 180 countries. There were also some 3,000 representatives from NGOs (nongovernmental organizations). Many of these are the most vociferous, hard-line advocates of abortion, but they also included a dedicated group of pro-life, pro-family NGOs from throughout the world, including NRLC and IRTLF.