Conference in Berlin pushes "sexual and reproductive rights" for youth

Contact: Samantha Singson, 202-531-9039; Austin Ruse, 202-531-3770

BERLIN, Sept. 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- The same week that UNFPA pulled its name from a graphic sex ed guide that came under criticism, the organization is holding a conference in Berlin to train 400 activists to demand countries fund and provide similar sex ed programs and abortions.

Concerned Women for America's President Wendy Wright and C-FAM's Director of Government Relations Samantha Singson are at the conference on "sexual and reproductive rights" sponsored by UNFPA and the German government.

Sessions focus on training activists to agitate for more money from countries and foundations, pressuring governments to provide sex ed and abortion, and training youth to advocate for abortion and sexual rights. Materials entitled "Ensuring Women's Access to Safe Abortion" and "I Need an Abortion" are distributed to attendees.

Thoroya Obaid, Director of UNFPA, told the conference "Unlike us at the UN who are held accountable by intergovernmental mechanisms, you as NGOs have more freedom and space to push the agenda ahead."

The New York Times reported today on a UNESCO sex ed guide that advocates teaching 5 - 8 year olds about masturbation, ages 9 - 12 about abortion and orgasms, and by age 15 about "advocacy to promote the right to and access to safe abortion." CNSNews.com broke the story on UNESCO releasing the "International Guidelines on Sexual Education" in June with UNFPA. Facing public criticism over the guide, UNFPA told the New York Times it will remove its name from the publication.

The "age-appropriate" framework is identical to guidelines from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). One of the authors is a former employee of SIECUS.

A statement to be released at the end of the conference tells countries:

• Provide abortions through public health systems.

• Guarantee "sexual and reproductive rights as human rights."

• "Eliminate parental... and age restrictions" for youth to access "the full range of sexual and reproductive health information and services."

• Increase funding for non-governmental organizations to expand advocacy.

Samantha Singson stated, "In the same week that UNFPA backtracked on putting its name on the sex ed manual, it trained activists to demand 'comprehensive sexuality education' and access to abortion for all youth."

Wendy Wright said, "UNFPA tells people to 'create a need' for reproductive health care. Now we can see that UNFPA creates the need for abortion, HIV/AIDS treatments and other health care by teaching kids as young as five to be sexually active."