U.S. May Have To Decriminalize Prostitution Per U.N. Treaty

If the U.S. Senate passes the UN Convention the was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly and has been signed by 165 countries this could force the U.S. to acknowledge voluntary prostitution is a legal women’s choice as well as a women’s right to choose of abortion. If passed the U.S. would have to accept these human rights as the treaty provides.

The following summary is from a religious right group, Concerned Women of America (CWA) who of course oppose any such rights of women and want to keep them from having control over their own bodies.

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

SOURCE: http://cwfa.org/library/nation/2000-09_pp_cedaw.shtml

The U.N. General Assembly adopted CEDAW on December 18, 1979. President Jimmy Carter signed it in 1980. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed it on September 29, 1994, but the full Senate has not ratified it. So far, 165 countries have signed the treaty, legally binding them to implement its provisions.1

CWA (Strong opponents “Concerned Women of America) is convinced that, if the Senate ever ratifies CEDAW, the federal government would allow it to supersede all federal and state laws, as evidenced by past federal court rulings.4

Part V (Articles 17-22) of CEDAW outlines the creation of a Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women to oversee the implementation of CEDAW in every signatory nation. This Committee consists of "23 experts of high and moral standing and competence in the field covered by the Convention" whom representatives of the Convention signatories elect. This, in essence, places the welfare and well being of American women and families at the mercy of 23 individuals, among whom the United States might not even have a voice.

CEDAW legally binds every signatory country to implement its provisions. After signing, each country must submit an initial report with a detailed and comprehensive description of the state of its women, "a benchmark against which subsequent progress can be measured."5 This initial report should include legislative, judicial, administrative and other measures the signatory nation has adopted to comply with CEDAW. The country must submit follow-up reports at least every four years.

Treaty Provisions Includes

Legalized Prostitution
Article 11, section 1(c) of the treaty upholds "the right to free choice of profession and employment." The Committee has included "voluntary" prostitution in that "free choice"—to the detriment of needy women around the world. It has called upon China to "decriminalize prostitution,"38 expressing concern that it is often the "result of poverty."39 Also, while it urged Germany "to recognize that trafficked women and girls are victims of human rights violations in need of protection,"40 it also expressed concern "that although they are legally obliged to pay taxes, prostitutes still do not enjoy the protection of labor and social law."41 Even more blatant, its report on Greece stated, "While noting positively the fact that prostitution is decriminalized and instead is dealt with in a regulatory manner, the Committee is concerned that inadequate structures exist to ensure compliance with regulatory framework."42
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