Lisa Correnti Executive Vice President | The Center for Family and Human Rights

Amnesty International, along with several pro-abortion organizations, has declared that abortion providers should be considered "human rights defenders." This assertion is made despite the absence of an internationally recognized human right to abortion. The report was authored by leading global abortion providers MSI Reproductive Choices and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, among others.

According to Amnesty, "human rights defenders" are individuals or groups who act to protect human rights. They reference the “UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,” which states that such individuals have the right to support and protection for their activities. However, the declaration specifies it pertains to universally recognized rights, a standard that contested issues like abortion do not meet.

Despite this, advocates maintain their stance as human rights defenders. Some entities within the human rights system have echoed this sentiment. In 2015, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights featured a U.S. abortionist in a video series as a “human rights defender.”

Amnesty supports its claim by referencing nonbinding opinions from UN treaty monitoring bodies and independent experts who interpret treaties without explicit mention of abortion. These interpretations are often cited among these bodies.

The report urges national governments to protect and support abortionists through measures such as "safe access zones" around clinics and psycho-social support for providers. It also calls for social media platforms to prevent harassment of abortion providers online.

Additionally, governments are encouraged to comply with World Health Organization guidelines on abortion and mandate training that includes "values clarification" to address moral objections among healthcare workers. Conscientious objection should be regulated so it does not hinder abortion services.

Governments are also asked to promote awareness campaigns affirming the legitimacy of abortion rights defenders and consider "values clarification" in professional development for law enforcement and legal workers.

The report acknowledges transgender ideology by stating that threats against these defenders impact the abortion rights of women, girls, and others who can become pregnant.

Ultimately, Amnesty's views remain nonbinding with no authority to establish new human rights.