A baton has been passed in the international fight for life, health, and family as the United States recently became the new Secretariat for the Geneva Consensus Declaration. This transition was announced mid-August in a joint press release from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. If you’re unfamiliar with this Declaration, here’s what you need to know and why it matters to AAPLOG members:
What is the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD)?
Through the leadership of the United States, this initiative was established in 2020 and then reaffirmed in 2021-2025. According to the Trump Administration’s release, the GCD has four main objectives:
“To secure meaningful health and development gains for women; to protect life at all stages; to defend the family as the fundamental unit of society; and to work together across the UN system to realize these values.”
The Declaration – a simple one-page document – is a political commitment, not a treaty.
What countries are a part of the GCD Coalition?
Beginning with just a handful of signatories, the GCD Coalition currently consists of 42 member countries, with Argentina being the latest to join. Sadly, many of the European countries one might expect to be on this list are conspicuously missing. For a full line up of the countries and an interactive map, see the GCD’s own webpage.
What does the acting Secretariat do?
The GCD Secretariat is an administrative role, handling joint activities, communications with the coalition, and the admission of new member-states. The past Secretariat was Hungary, and at present, the Secretariat will be within the Office of Global Affairs at HHS.
How is this initiative and the United States’ current role important in the fight for life?
The abortion lobby has a big problem with the GCD because it directly asserts that induced abortion is not a fundamental right and asserts national sovereignty to determine their own policy, providing an important counterview in nations where the abortion lobby works to gain ground.
The Declaration reads, “There is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the part of States to finance or facilitate abortion, consistent with the long-standing international consensus that each nation has the sovereign right to implement programs and activities consistent with their laws and policies.”
By encouraging countries around the world to prioritize familial health and life-affirming healthcare, the GCD dispels the inhumane viewpoint that preborn human beings aren’t valuable enough to be protected. Instead, this political commitment fosters a new, international appreciation and respect for life at all stages.
