Alarmed by freedom of conscience
UN committee tells Poland to change laws on abortion
Wants reports on conscientious objection
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has
told Poland to "liberalize its legislation and practice on abortion,"
and has also complained about the lack of information available about
conscientious objection to abortion by physicians, which, it seems, the
Committee finds unacceptable. The relevant part of the report is
reproduced below, with a link to the original text. [Administrator]
Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights
Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee
Advance Unedited Version
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland
4 November, 2004
Convention Abbreviation: CCPR
82nd session
Human Rights Committee
POLAND
1. The Committee considered the fifth periodic report of Poland
(CCPR/C/POL/2004/5) at its 2240th and 2241st meetings (CCPR/C/SR.2240 and
2241), held on 27 and 28 October 2004, and adopted the following concluding
observations at its 2251st meeting (CCPR/C/SR.2251) on 4 November 2004. . .
.
8. The Committee reiterates its deep concern about restrictive abortion
laws in Poland, which may incite women to seek unsafe, illegal abortions,
with attendant risks to their life and health. It is also concerned at the
unavailability of abortion in practice even when the law permits it, for
example in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape,
and by the lack of
information on the use of the conscientious objection clause by medical
practitioners who refuse to carry out legal abortions. The Committee
further regrets the lack of information on the extent of illegal abortions
and their consequences for the women concerned (art. 6).
The State Party should liberalize its legislation and practice on
abortion. It should
provide further information on the use of the conscientious objection clause
by doctors, and, so far as possible, on the number of illegal
abortions that take place in Poland. These recommendations should be taken
into account when the draft Law on Parental Awareness is discussed in
Parliament.
[Original
Document]