Re: New Zealand National Periodic Review Report on Human Rights – United Nations

Letter to;

Hon Murray McCully,

Minister of External Affairs and Trade,

25th January 2010

Right to Life New Zealand Inc, is disappointed that the government’s 2009 Periodic Report to the United Nations made no reference to the human rights of New Zealand’s unborn children. Since the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 was passed by Parliament the Abortion Supervisory Committee has reported to Parliament that more than 371,000 unborn children have been killed by abortion.

Human life begins at conception. Unborn children are the weakest and most defenceless members of the human family. At conception each newly created human being is endowed by its Creator with inalienable human rights, the foundation right being a right to life. At conception the newly created human being should be given the respect that is due to the person. The first duty of the state is to protect the right to life of all the members of the human family.

In the introduction to the Report it states that “A key part of New Zealand’s commitment to human rights is ensuring that these universal rights are enjoyed and respected by New Zealand society.” It is pleasing that in many areas the government has an enviable record in promoting a just society by upholding and protecting human rights.

It is however of great concern for many in our community that we continue to witness the grave violation of the human rights of our nation’s unborn children.

The Periodic Report notes that under the scope of its international obligations, New Zealand is a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The preamble to the Convention states;

Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, “the child by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth”.

The Periodic Report states that “New Zealand has a tradition of promoting and protecting human rights at home and overseas.” The Report under the heading Right to Life, Liberty and security of person makes reference to family violence, but does not recognise that the killing of unborn children by abortion is the ultimate in family violence.

If the government is genuinely concerned about human rights it must urgently address the violation of the human rights of our nation’s unborn children, this is the most important human rights issue of our times. This violation is of the utmost gravity as it is sanctioned and funded by the government. The violation of the right to life of unborn children is a threat to the human rights of the born. If the state can permit this grave violation of the human rights of the innocent unborn it is possible that a future Parliament may withdraw its protection for the human rights of other sectors of the community.

The Report commendably has sections dealing with the government’s action in upholding our human rights to freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of religion, our right to participate in public and political life. These are important human rights that are necessary to enable citizens to fulfil their human dignity. The enjoyment of all of these human rights rest and are supported by the foundation right, the right to life.

It is the aspiration of all the members of our community that we live in a just society. It is of great concern that New Zealand is not a just society that respects the human rights of all of the members of the human family both born and unborn.

The Periodic Report raises several important questions;

1. Does the government recognise that unborn children are endowed with human rights?

2. Why is there no reference in the Periodic report on the government’s efforts to protect the human rights of unborn children?

3. What action will the government take to protect the human rights of unborn children?

4. Will the government ensure that in future Periodic Human Rights Reports to the United Nations they will include, a report on the government’s action to protect the human rights of unborn children?

Yours sincerely

Ken Orr

Secretary