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