US Toughens Policy Against Foreign NGOs That Perform Abortions
The United States announced Tuesday it is toughening a policy denying funding to foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortions.
Washington, Mar 26 (AFP) The United States announced Tuesday it is toughening a policy denying funding to foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortions.
When he came to power in 2017, President Donald Trump restored the policy first announced by then president Ronald Reagan in 1984 at an international conference in Mexico City.
Since then, Democratic presidents have scrapped the rule and Republican ones have reinstituted it.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Tuesday a tightening of the policy, saying the US will refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs that give financial support to other foreign groups involved in what he called the "global abortion industry."
"We will enforce a strict prohibition on backdoor funding schemes and end-runs around our policy. American taxpayer dollars will not be used to underwrite abortions," Pompeo told reporters.
In 2017, progressive and women's advocacy groups criticized the Trump administration for reinstituting the so-called Mexico City policy.
They expressed fear of clinics closing around the world and of an increase in clandestine or dangerous back-alley abortions.
Pompeo said the US will be able to fulfill its goal of aiding public health around the world even while imposing these abortion-related restrictions. (AFP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)