For the first time ever, a coalition of pro-life nations is holding a dedicated event during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, and Trump administration officials aren’t pulling punches about the contrast with their predecessors.
“In sharp contrast to the Biden Administration, which failed to muster a comprehensible explanation for what a woman is, the Trump Administration recognizes the unique importance of women and mothers and their critical role in society,” HHS Senior Adviser Natalie Dodson said to attendees, according to prepared remarks obtained by The Daily Signal.
The Geneva Consensus Declaration, a coalition of 43 nations that reject the notion of any international right to abortion, is gathering representatives from participating countries and U.S. government officials in New York. The event marks a significant moment for the pro-life movement on the world stage.
The United States assumed the role of secretariat for the declaration in June, taking over from Hungary. It’s a return to leadership for America, which helped establish the coalition during the first Trump administration before the Biden administration withdrew from the group. President Donald Trump brought the U.S. back into the fold following his January 2025 inauguration.
Bethany Kozma, director of HHS’ Office of Global Affairs, outlined the declaration’s future under American leadership. Her message emphasizes unity around core principles while respecting national differences.
“We have countries from different regions of the world, with different histories, cultures, and perspectives,” Kozma said. “But we have chosen to come together because there are some things we fundamentally agree on. Life is worthy of protection. Women and girls deserve the opportunity to achieve optimal health throughout their lives. The family is the natural and fundamental unit of society. And sovereign nations have the right to make decisions consistent with their own laws, policies, and values.”
The declaration, according to its stated purpose, “seeks to expand health and thriving for women and protect the sovereign right of nations to support health, life, and family through national policy and legislation.”
Argentina and the Dominican Republic are the most recent countries to join, bringing the total membership to over 40 nations since the declaration’s founding in 2020.
Dodson detailed how HHS has already acted on the declaration’s principles domestically. The department has ended aborted fetal tissue research, instituted conscience protections for those opposed to abortion, and rejected physician-assisted suicide.
“By safeguarding religious freedom, conscience protections, and parental rights, the Trump Administration supports families and parents who seek to raise their children without undue political interference,” her prepared remarks state.
“Without women and mothers, the pillars of the GCD could not stand,” Dodson added.
Kozma’s remarks also highlight the significance of the coalition’s gathering happening outside the main UN proceedings.
“World leaders are gathered here in New York this week, and enormous attention will be paid to what happens inside the United Nations. But again, I would ask people to look across the street. Because something important is happening here, too,” she was slated to say. “Countries are choosing to stand together.”
