It is commonplace for new human rights to be bootstrapped by advocates and through dishonest reporting. Did you know there is a universal human right to family planning? This was announced last week by the head of the UN Population Fund. In this report, you can see the reporter lists half a dozen documents that supposedly assert this binding human right.
The report starts by citing the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and goes on to list the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and then a handful of UN resolutions.
Problem is, none of them cite family planning as a human right. The International Covenant from 1966 does not even mention family planning. Family planning is mentioned in CEDAW but only as a category of nondiscrimination. It is mentioned in the Children’s Rights treaty but only as an aspect of education within the “right to health.”
And all of those UN resolutions mentioned? They cannot establish any new rights because they are non-binding.
The problem is that most folks around the world have no idea what UN documents say or don’t say, not even law makers. They take this claims as gospel and then impose them on their own people. This is a very dangerous game. Why? The degradation of the human rights regime poses grave danger to those who really need them.
November 26th, 2012 | 11:15 pm
Actually, Catholic teaching does claim a right of each couple to plan their own family. Or perhaps it would better be called a responsibility to plan prudently and generously, under the rubric of Responsible Parenthood.
(Note that this teaching retains the literal meaning of “family planning”, as opposed to the UN meaning, where family planning is code for contraception.)
Responsible Parenthood holds that the married couple (marriage being a pre-requisite for family planning!) must make adequate provision for the physical, educational, spiritual, and psychological well being of children they bring into the world–which of course involves avoiding conceiving children for which they are unprepared to provide these things. It also holds that each family has a responsibility, and a right, to make their own plans, in good conscience before God. No one else, not parents, friends, nor government agencies can usurp this right, and responsibility.
Would that more people would follow this common-sense teaching!
December 10th, 2012 | 11:59 am
Family planning comes in all shapes and sizes and it was my understanding that the Catholic Church supports certain forms of it, including to the so called “rhythm method.”
Thus, sexual activity can be scheduled in such a way that conception can be guarded against. This to me sounds like “contraception,” if in a so-called “natural” fashion.
Is this not a right of a married couple? Now, some oppose certain FORMS of family planning. But, the overall idea of planning how many children you will have, including a girl or woman’s right to refuse unwanted children should not be deemed a bad thing.
This post is on some level fairly distasteful, with respect.
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