The Council of Europe Assembly on Friday 29th Jan approved the Mc Cafferty report "Fifteen years since the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action". The members present rejected some excellent amendments and voted to accept this anti-life report which calls for sexual and reproductive rights for women, which is a euphamism for the provision of abortion.
(Doc. 11992, report of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Mrs McCafferty and Doc. 12053, opinion of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, rapporteur: M. Agius). Link to report
The debate in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly presented a false interpretation of the ICPD or Cairo conference outcome document and failed to accept a more balanced approach which proposed comprehensive maternal health care and repect for human dignity. Pro-life amendments were proposed by Luca Volunte, Ronan Mullen and Marco Gatti but sadly none were adopted, although the margin was as low as 3 votes in one case.
The debate on Friday was monitored by various pro-life and pro-family groups who report that the attendance was very poor with less than 70 out of 318 eligible parliamentarians present for most of the time.This resolution was finally adopted by 50 votes in favour, 14 against and 4 abstention. The resolution was finally adopted by 50 votes in favour, 14 against and 4 abstention.
The poor attendance has been attributed to the debate being held on a Friday
The names of those present at the debate and their votes is set out on the following link
