Abortion compromise attempt lingers

Abortion compromise attempt lingers

CAIRO (AFP): Efforts to resolve an abortion controversy at the
UN population conference ran into trouble yesterday as Latin
American nations joined the Vatican in opposition to a compromise
proposal, delegates said.

Islamic states Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia late Tuesday
backed a compromise on abortion contained in a plan to curb
population growth which was rejected by the Vatican.

But Roman Catholic nations in Central America which had not
shown any opposition to the compromise the night before
criticized it during talks yesterday, Namibian delegate Henning
Melber said.

He added that the host country Egypt had warned against
"further delays."

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro said 17 countries -- there
are 182 at the conference -- backed the Holy See in its stand on
the compromise yesterday, adding there was still hope for a
better text.

"There are many good elements if the text is improved.
Eventually we could sign it," Navarro said.

But one delegate, who requested anonymity said, many
traditionally Roman Catholic countries "can't even consider the
possibility of abortion."

He added Argentina, Uruguay and Chile had also expressed
reservations about the compromise although their opposition had
been less vocal than that from Central America.

"This conference is being transformed into a debate on
abortion," he complained.

The Vatican and Moslem states at the UN International
Conference on Population and Development have campaigned for
changes in the 113-page plan which they charge condones abortion,
extra-marital sex and homosexuality.

The compromise advanced by the European Union concerned
chapter eight of the action plan and included a phrase that "in
no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family
planning."

Guatemala's delegate said yesterday that abortion could not be
allowed any more than "robbery" could, Melber said.

But a Spanish delegate said Tuesday that "for a large number
of delegates, the European Union, the United States, northern
countries, and Canada especially, it's not possible to change one
(more) comma."

"There's a limit to patience," a Zambian delegate was quoted
as saying.

Conference host Egypt said it was a pity that no consensus had
emerged on any point even though it was the conference's third
day, Melber added.

Reality

Liberals say abortion is a reality that must be addressed,
especially since many women die each year from complications from
abortion.

If there is no acknowledgement of this reality, discussions
will have to resume from zero, liberals were quoted as saying.

The delegate who requested anonymity said Latin American
countries found references in the compromise to "safe" and
"unsafe" abortion as implying legality.

Delegates also preferred references to countries where
abortion is legal to be changed to countries where abortion is
"decriminalized," the delegate said.

Indonesia, Thailand and eight other nations which have lowered
birth rates will form a network to help put fellow developing
countries on the road to success, according to Indonesia's
population minister.

The other countries which have agreed to join the information
network are Bangladesh, Egypt, Colombia, Mexico, Tunisia, Kenya,
Morocco, and Zimbabwe, Minister Haryono Suyono said.

The 10 have funding commitments from the Rockefeller
Foundation and the World Bank, but he did not say how much.

Information

The network may start with countries like Indonesia exchanging
delegations with developing countries needing information on
family planning or other population issues.

"We invite people to come to villages" to watch how family
planning works in Indonesia, he said.
The system may develop into a computer network with electronic
mail, he added. "We start with simple things," he said.

The conference has still not resolved differences over other
parts of the document which concern the family, the extent of
sexual freedom for young people, and parental rights.

The conference opened on Monday with UN Secretary-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali urging nations to back the plan as a way of
preventing the world's population from almost doubling to about
10 billion people in 50 years.

The forum is to end Sept. 13.

U.S. Vice President Al Gore said on Tuesday he did not expect
the Vatican to sign the final document at the population
conference. Vatican -- P. 12