UNITED STATES FUNDING TO UNFPA

Early day motion 728A1, tabled 28 February 2002 by Jim Dobbin (Labour/Co-operative). Signed by 8 members.

leave out from US to end and add: 'That President, Mr George Bush, to place on hold the funding of $34 million to the UNFPA approved by Congress; notes his concern about the consistent moral and financial support of the UNFPA given to the Chinese birth control programme which includes compulsory abortion and sterilisation; further notes the conclusions reached by Catherine Baber of Amnesty International that forced abortion in the Chinese programme amounted to torture; reminds Honourable Members that the UNFPA representative in China, Sven Burmester, has declared '... For all the bad press, China has achieved the impossible. The Country has solved its population problem', an ethos supported by the UNFPA Executive Director, Thoraya Obaid, who 'praised' the 'notable achievements' of the Chinese policy, recalls, however, to members the Nazi War Crimes Tribunals in Nuremberg which rules 'Forced abortion' as a crime against humanity'; urges Honourable Members, regardless of their views on the principle of abortion, to recognise that forced sterilisation and abortion do not conform with basic human rights and calls on the British Government to follow the lead of President Bush and place on hold any further funding to the UNFPA until they openly oppose coercion in birth control programmes.'.

Signatures by party: Conservative 4, Labour 2, Labour/Co-operative 1, UUP 1.