Reproductive rights 'foundation' for empowerment of women, girls, says UN

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes that sexual and reproductive health and rights are the "foundation for lives of choice, empowerment and equality for the world's women and girls," a UN spokesperson said on Tuesday after the leak of a draft legal decision that would overturn US abortion rights.

While UN spokesperson Farhan Haq declined to comment directly on the draft US Supreme Court decision, he said Guterres has repeatedly raised concerns about "a global push-back" on women's rights, including reproductive rights and essential health services.

The US Supreme Court confirmed the authenticity of the draft ruling to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalised abortion nationwide, but said it did not represent the final decision, which is due by the end of June.

"While we've seen this document that has been leaked and it raises a number of concerns for all of us, in our international policies in terms of support for women and girls' reproductive health, we will continue to support those efforts," said US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

"We restored US standing on this issue," she told reporters.

Under former US President Donald Trump's administration, the United States led a push at the United Nations against the promotion of women's sexual and reproductive rights and health because it sees that as code for abortion. It opposed the long-agreed international language in UN resolutions.

Trump also cut funding in 2017 for the UN Population Fund because it said it "supports, or participates in the management of, a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization." The UN said that was an inaccurate perception. The administration of President Joe Biden has restored the funding.