Press Release: Over 200 State Legislators in 45 States Sign-On to United Nations Submission on Reproductive and Maternal Health

PRESS RELEASE

More than 200 state legislators from 45 states sign submission detailing the United States’ human rights violations in sexual, reproductive, and maternal health.

The submission, which is the only one on behalf of state legislators in this issue area, is part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which reviews the human rights records of United Nation member states.

WASHINGTON D.C.– The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) has filed a submission to the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process outlining the United States’ human rights violations in sexual, reproductive, and maternal health and denouncing the federal government for failing to uphold the commitments it made during the previous UPR review. This is the first time that SiX has asked legislators to join a stakeholder submission as part of the process that seeks input from non-profit organizations and other stakeholders for consideration.

The only UPR submission focused on the role of state legislators in upholding sexual and reproductive rights, it was signed by 212 state lawmakers from 45 states, many of whom are part of SiX’s Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council.

In 2020, during the 3rd Cycle of the UPR, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to promoting respect for human rights, including taking steps to expand and ensure universal sexual and reproductive health access. Since then, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the lack of federal protections has resulted in patchwork of state policies related to abortion, contraception, maternal health, as well as gender-affirming care.

“As the United States has regressed on its commitment to protect reproductive and human rights, state legislators are stepping forward to fill the void,” said Jennifer Driver, Senior Director, Reproductive Rights, State Innovation Exchange. “State legislators are keenly aware of the impact the patchwork of state policies has on people both in their states and across state borders. Despite clear human rights standards that prohibit criminal abortion laws, new laws in a number of states put criminal penalties in place. In large areas of the country, this has put clinicians and people seeking abortion care in a state of confusion and fear, even in the direst of circumstances. With the lack of federal protections, state lawmakers have a crucial role to play in ensuring that the United States lives up to its human rights obligations.” 

The Universal Periodic Review is a unique mechanism of the Human Rights Council that calls for each United Nations Member State to undergo a peer review of its human rights records every four and a half years. The UPR provides each UN Member State the opportunity to regularly report on the actions it has taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to overcome challenges to the enjoyment of human rights and receive recommendations – informed by multi-stakeholder input and pre-session reports – from UN Member States for continuous improvement.

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The State Innovation Exchange’s Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council (SiX RFLC) is a network of 600+ state legislators committed to advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice policy.