Bush Promotes a Canard

President Bush, with a veto, removed American support of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) from the foreign aid budget in the groundless belief that some of the dollars might find their way into coercive abortion programs in China. It is a regrettable extension of his decision to perpetuate the population policy of former President Ronald Reagan by seeking to impose restrictions on the use of abortion in poor foreign nations that are far more stringent than the standards in the United States. Worse, the action perpetuates canards about a successful, effective and principled U.N. program at a time when world population growth is at a crisis level.

In the legislation vetoed by the President, $15 million of $220 million for population programs was to go to the UNFPA. Under a carefully crafted bipartisan amendment, none of the U.S. contribution would go to UNFPA’s work in China. That was to avoid even the appearance of giving support to the Chinese population program, which is under fire for allegedly including coercive abortion and sterilization. Never mind that there is no evidence that UNFPA in any way aided or abetted the controversial elements of the Chinese program. Never mind that the new UNFPA-China agreement reinforces that separation. And never mind that there would be no better way to discourage abusive programs than to enhance contraceptive campaigns, a main thrust of UNFPA.

Fortunately, the United States stands alone on this issue. All of the other major nations, led by Japan and including the Soviet Union, have stepped in to make up the declining American funding. The UNFPA, once dependent on the United States for 25% of its support, now spends even more with no U.S. support. But the missing dollars have hurt. Some of the replacement money received is not readily convertible. And the absence of U.S. leadership and cooperation serves to weaken the effort.

President Bush leads the world’s richest, most powerful nation, a nation that has gained effective control of its own population. But his nation is part of a world whose population is out of control. There were 1.6 billion people 90 years ago. There are 5.2 billion now. And there will be 6 billion by the end of the century. A quarter of those now living are hungry, and even more are malnourished. It is a situation that calls for vigorous leadership and more, not less, funds for effective world programs. Everywhere. Not least in China.