Event Summary
The Government of Argentina, led by Javier Milei, filed a formal objection with the Organization of American States (OAS) to “dissociate” itself from the inclusion of the organization Catholics for the Right to Decide (CDD) in the 55th General Assembly held from June 25 to 27 in Antigua and Barbuda, alleging that its commitment to legal abortion violated the “right to life from conception”. Although the OAS is not obliged to accept this veto, the Argentine State used a footnote to express its rejection, generating complaints of censorship and harassment by CDD and other human rights organizations.
The government’s objection is part of a growing pattern of state restrictions against freedom of expression, diversity of voices and citizen participation in international spaces, as the OAS has pointed out with respect to the Argentine press. CDD, a feminist organization with more than 30 years of experience in defense of sexual and reproductive rights from a Catholic perspective, regularly participates in multilateral forums such as the OAS and the UN. Feminist and human rights organizations pointed out that the veto by the Argentine government constitutes an attempt to limit the plurality of voices in multilateral spaces and to impose ideological criteria in international forums, affecting the democratic participation of Argentine civil society. They have since met with UN Human Rights Representative in South America to express this concern.