EU treaty will legalise abortion, homosexuality

Sir,

Parliamentarians from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will attend the 61st session of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly on October 26-28, 2022 and the 42nd session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on October 29 – November 2, 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique, where they will, inter alia, deliberate on how to get ACP country leaders to sign the EUACP Trade Agreement between the European Union (EU) and ACP countries.

Treaty

The treaty, if ratified in its current form, would lead to the automatic legalisation of abortion, homosexuality, prostitution, pornography and parental, cultural and religious persecution and so on. Parliaments in the ACP States are required to ratify the treaty for it to be legally binding.

The EU-ACP Trade Treaty is a 20-year treaty governing trade and economic relations between the EU and ACP countries signed in February 2000. It was to expire in 2020 but was extended until a new 20-year agreement can be put in place called the ACP-EU Agreement.

Negotiations for a new 20-year ACPEU partnership began in September 2018 and ended on April 15, 2021. The provisions of the regional protocols shall be legally binding on the EU party and on the parties that are in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific respectively.

The treaty has references to comprehensive sexuality education (Art. 29 (5), Art. 40 (6)); outcomes of ICPD review conferences (Art. 36 (2), Art. 40 (6)); sexual and reproductive health and rights (Art. 36 (2), Art. 32 (2), Art. 40 (6)); protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Art. 49 (6)); Maputo Plan of Action 20162030 (Art. 49 (6)).

Reservation

Yet the African group made reservations on Goal 3: “With regard to information and education in the context of sexual and reproductive health services, as referred to under Goal 3, the African group does not think that comprehensive sexual education should be included as part of it.

First and foremost, parents have the right to choose the type of education to give to their children – a right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which must be respected. The use of the phrase ‘information and education’ in the context of sexual and reproductive healthcare services must not give rise to a right whereby young children and adolescents have access to any and all services, in disregard for the responsibility of their parents. Nor must it result in an obligation to provide them information or services that are neither lawful nor acceptable at the international level” (A/69/PV.101).

Harmful

According to stopcse.org, the 15 harmful elements of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) include sexualised children, teaches children to consent to sex, normalises anal and oral sex, promotes homosexual/bisexual behaviour, promotes sexual pleasure, promotes solo and/or mutual masturbation, promotes condom use in inappropriate ways, promotes early sexual autonomy, fails to establish abstinence as the expected standard, promotes transgender ideology, promotes contraception/abortion to children, promotes peer-to-peer sex education or sexual rights advocacy, undermines traditional values and beliefs, undermines parents or parental rights and refers children to harmful resources.

According to (WHO), 2015 sexual health, human rights and the law, sexual and reproductive health rights have proved to be a Trojan horse for abortion (Pg 1 executive summary), homosexuality (Pg 1 executive summary, Pg 21, 3.4.2 – Marital Status, Pg 14, 3.1- Introduction), prostitution (Pg 28, 3.4.10 - People engaged in sex work).

The EU Parliament’s adopted Matic Report revealed that SRHR included abortion (J,Pg 9/39), homosexuality (B, Pg 7/39).

Education

The outcomes from the review conferences have consistently promoted abortion, sexual and reproductive rights or sexual and reproductive health and rights; prostitution and comprehensive sexuality education. For instance the ICPD review: The Bali Global Youth Forum Declaration (ICPD +20) (3.5, 1.8, 3.5, 3.11); the Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Declaration in Africa beyond 2014 (Pg 6 Para 3, Pg 2 Para 6 ); Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Article 14.2 (c)); Maputo Plan of Action 20162030 (4.3.4, 9.3.7).

Legislatures and Heads of States must be warned on the dangers of the ACP-EU Trade Treaty.

Alex Wesigye

Programs Director, Life and Family (LIFAM) Foundation Uganda