March 12, 1998
Mike Reagan: Susan Roylance, international expert and United Nations extraordinaire! How are you?
Susan Roylance (Laugh) Just fine! It's good to talk to you!
Mike Reagan: You know, I was quoting you all over the place yesterday on the show -- about CEDAW and I think people were in awe because they don't think those things go on with all these United Nations' treaties that are right around the corner, just waiting for the "right" Senate to be put in place to ratify them.
One of the things that came up today is this whole thing about IMF and NATO, etc. - and the Republicans are wanting to ad the Mexico City Policy amendments to the UN funding bills, which the Democrats saw as killing the bills. But the Mexico City Policy was in place since about 1984. My father put that in place.
I want you to bring people up to date as to why we need amendments added on to International bills that would not fund abortion at the United Nations.
Susan Roylance: Well, I should start by saying that Kofi Annan (Secretary General of United Nations) said today that if the United States paid what he considers its "arrears" of 1.3 billion, that "not a cent" of it would go toward abortion. That's laughable! It is absolutely not true. I have some interesting information to share with you and your listeners. The whole UN system promotes the concept of abortion and population control -- taking it out of the hands of each individual country to make those decisions!
Mike Reagan: And you would know this, Susan! You and I have talked about this many, many times. You've been a great friend of the show. We've talked as you attended all these United Nations conferences over the past years. So you KNOW the issues because you've BEEN there! You've attended UN conferences since the Beijing Women's Conference -- trying to stop what you say is the "Feminist-Homosexual agenda" which is pushing for abortion to be an "international human right?"
Susan Roylance: That is exactly true. In fact I am sitting here looking at a document which is the report from the Human Rights Committee. It is an official document of the UN -Volume 1, Supplement No 40 (A/52/40) dated the 21st of September 1997. This particular document provides information on four different countries, Peru, Georgia, Bolivia and Columbia and talks about the need to change their "restrictive laws on abortion," what each country is doing as it relates to abortion and how the laws need to be changed to "respect the human rights of a woman."
Mike Reagan: Well, there are a lot of people that say that it IS a right if a woman wants to have an abortion. Why can't she have one?
Susan Roylance: The issue is not whether or not countries can make that decision but whether or not the UN should be able to override the decision of a country to make that decision.
Mike Reagan: Good answer, Susan!
Susan Roylance: It is the sovereign right of a nation to make decisions regarding the social structure of their country. When the Universal Declaration on Human Rights was first established it was not at all considered to be a document that would guarantee abortion. But, now, with pressure from the women's organizations, and more particularly from the UN agency UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women-- they say that the "the right right to life for all members of the human family˛ which is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should now be overridden by a new women's reproductive health right that should have a higher level of hierarchy in human rights.
Mike Reagan: Why do we need the UN to tell us all of this? Don't we have the right as our own country to make our own laws and rules? What happens if we sign on to one of these agreements? If we ratify the agreement the way the UN has all this -- what happens if we do . . .
Susan Roylance: If we ratify CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women,). . .We haven't ratified it yet, but there is a big push right now to ratify it. In fact, when I was in New York last week, the US Delegation ( from the US State Department) said there was going to be big rally in Washington DC this week that would begin the education of our Senators -- to get CEDAW ratified. And if it is ratified,CEDAW says that the country should "take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices which constitute discrimination against women." The definition of "discrimination" includes "social discrimination" and it talks about maternity as a "social function" ...it gets into all kinds of things! It also talks about eliminating the "stereotyped concept of the roles of men and women..."
Mike Reagan: Well, Susan, don't we have a Congress that makes our laws? Are you saying that we in America end up becoming subservient to the United Nations then, instead of our own Congress?
Susan Roylance: If we ratify it, that's what it means! That is supposedly the intent.. Mike Reagan: You know, what happens every time we bring something of this nature up on the show, there are people out there in America who say, "That couldn't happen!"
Susan Roylance: It is already happening in the 161 nations in the world that have ratified it. It's happening today!
Mike Reagan: I just did a show on "Politically Incorrect" with Bill Maher the other night, talking about this, and he said I didn't know what I was talking about!
Susan Roylance: (Laugh)
Mike Reagan: That's True! I went on his show and he tried to take me on about the United Nations and every time I tried to answer the question, he would say, "You're not answering the question!" Every time I tried to answer, he would stop me and say, "You're not answering the question!" I said, "Bill, do you want to hear the answer?" He really didn't want to hear it!
Susan Roylance: Let me tell you something. Back in January 1997, United Families International wrote a letter to Kofi Annan and asked him to consider reforms within the UN that related to the family. We were very concerned about the anti-family attitude that the United Nations had, and we believed he was sincere in trying to make reforms that would improve the UN. They acknowledged our letter, but there has been no improvement whatsoever, and the US delegation is one of the worst! They won't allow a Family Resolution. They really do not represent the people of this country, and that is the reason why I am concerned about money going to the United Nations with no strings attached!
Susan Roylance: Right! This very day they've talked about it.
Mike Reagan: This is the bill having to do with paying the so-called UN arrears. We've been able to put it off until next week. But, of course the big argument is coming from the Administration that, "Those Republicans are trying to tie the abortion issue to something that should be separate -- it should not be a part of a piece of UN legislation˛ - we're talking about the Mexico City policy, right?
Susan Roylance: Right! But that's the only way you can get their attention! The other thing that should be pointed out is that they are trying to take off the first part the Mexico City language which says that money could not go to organizations that perform or promote abortion. They said "Let's just leave the second part which says it can't go to an organization that is trying to LOBBY a nation to change their laws." But,they don't even need the second and third parts! There is an effort, even on the part of some conservative congressmen, to take the first part of the Mexico City policy off, because they believe if the money can't go to an organization that is LOBBYING for abortion they can stop abortion. The truth of the matter is, the United Nations is doing that all by themselves! The UN itself is lobbying to change the nations laws which restrict abortion! They don't need individual organizations to lobby for abortion!
Mike Reagan: Wasn't the Mexico City Policy started by my father and wasn't it taken out in 1994 by executive order by the President of the United States? I think that's what happened. Susan, tell people how they can contact you for additional information about United Families International and the work you are doing, how can they reach you?
Susan Roylance: They can go into the United Families web site at http://www.happiness.org -- Happiness is found in families!
Mike Reagan: I heard that once! Susan, thank you for doing the job you do!
Susan Roylance: Thanks Mike -- for being there, and keeping the American public informed.