September 18th

Fall is here, and we are back from our short break! As a new UN session awaits us, we have lots to share about the life and family debate at and around the UN.

High Level Week & UNGA 80

Mid-September is a busy time at the UN. In less than a week, Heads of States and Governments will arrive in New York to join the general debate of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA80). Presidents and other key government figures will take the podium of the General Assembly Hall to deliver remarks in connection to this year’s theme, "Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights."

📅 The live General Debate will be accessible daily via UN Web TV.

Tuesday, 23 September 2025 – 🔗 UN Web TV

Wednesday, 24 September 2025 –🔗 UN Web TV

Thursday, 25 September 2025 – 🔗 UN Web TV

Friday, 26 September 2025 – 🔗 UN Web TV

Saturday, 27 September 2025 –🔗 UN Web TV

Monday, 29 September 2025 – 🔗 UN Web TV

We will be following the debate and share highlights in our upcoming newsletter. If you are also following, we would love to hear your thoughts. Below is a form you can use to share your reflections with us! 👇

The UN…80 years later…

As the UN is marking its 80th anniversary next month, it is worth reflecting on whether the UN has delivered on its promises, whether the world is safer, more peaceful, and overall better off because of it. Opinions on this are bound to diverge, and the answer is rarely clear-cut. UN's complex activities span from serving as a convening powerhouse to coordinating peacekeeping, humanitarian, and emergency response efforts. Despite one’s sentiments towards this ever-expanding entity, almost everybody agrees that the UN needs reform.

Here at IYc ( C-Fam’s youth program), we monitor and evaluate the UN’s impact on a relatively narrow set of issues: promotion of abortion, gender ideology, and the redefinition of the family. On these issues, the UN has been a disappointment. The undue influence exercised by left-wing advocacy groups and some wealthy donor countries has reduced many UN programmes to mouthpieces for controversial social policies.

What should conservative countries do? Stefano Gennarini, Legal Expert at C-Fam, warns against disengagement. Reflecting on this at a conference in Hungary, Gennarini said, “The UN General Assembly adopts around 350 resolutions a year, most by consensus. These resolutions increasingly intrude into domestic policies—20 years ago, it would have been unthinkable for UN texts to speak of “global governance”. Now they do,’ he explained. For Gennarini, the real problem is not the institutions but the reluctance of states to assert their sovereignty. ‘If we simply say “the UN has no legitimacy” and walk away, others—especially the EU—will step in, fund it, and gain more influence,’ he warned.” The European Conservative reported on the exchange here.

The Independence of UN “Independent” Experts

UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Health, Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng, joins a pro-abortion webinar. In her opening remarks, Ms. Mofokeng said, “Sexual and reproductive health rights are an integral element of the right to health. Yet we know when we are speaking specifically about abortion care, that obstacles exist. They are interrelated and entrenched and operate at different levels in clinical care, at the level of health systems and in the underlying determinants of health. Abortion is health care. Access to abortion is a human rights issue. Full stop.” Ms. Mofokeng is an activist who uses her platform to promote abortion access in her UN reports, at the UN General Assembly, and the Human Rights Council. The webinar co-hosts are leading abortion providers or advocacy groups. Below are a couple of screenshots from the webinar.

Slides presented *at Abortion rights are human rights👈 🌠1st Anniversary Special SHE & Rights* webinar

SRHR Groups Taking Over Africa

Prominent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) groups are working to shift the sexual and reproductive rights agenda to the Global South. At a recent webinar hosted by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), leading pro-SRHR voices discussed the future of SRHR amidst global development aid cuts. The speakers referred to the relocation of UN Women and UNICEF to Kenya as a win for SRHR and talked about building “excellence academies” and other learning institutions in the Global South for SRHR. They said SRHR advocates need to “shift the center of gravity, the agenda setting to the Global South.”

APHRC is funded by Western governments and rich foundations. Rebecca Oas, Research Director at C-Fam, wrote about APHRC in a C-Fam Definitions piece explaining how the abortion lobby is pressuring Kenya. “APHRC is conducting a four-year study funded by Sweden to advance the “sexual and reproductive health and rights” of adolescents, promote “safe” abortion, and promote LGBTQ+ issues—topics chosen specifically because they are political contentious in the seven African countries being studied, including Kenya. The purpose of the project is explicitly to inform policy changes and use evidence to “shift barriers to the translation of continental commitments into sound sub-regional and national policy, legal and practice responses.” To read the full paper, head over here.

C-Fam Friday Fax

Germany Takes Over UN-GA for the First Time “The new President of the General Assembly is the former foreign minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock. She is an avowed critic of President Trump and a proponent of abortion and gender ideology. In her new role, she will make key decisions on UN negotiations and reform that will impact the organization for years to come.” READ

An Appeal to the New Polish President “Poland has been a longtime disappointment to the pro-life and pro-family movement at the United Nations. Even when they have had good governments in Warsaw, this has rarely translated into pro-life and pro-family positions at negotiations in New York or Geneva.” READ

The Care Economy….

C-Fam recently published a new paper reflecting on the “treatment of care within the UN system and consider[ing] whether the policy prescriptions it promotes would actually improve the status of women in society and in the family.”
“Care for others, especially children, the elderly, the disabled, and those who are sick or injured, is an essential part of familial and societal life. All persons, at various points in their lives, experience dependency, and much of the work of care takes place in an informal, unpaid context. The fact that the majority of such work is done by women is seen by feminists, including those who work in the context of the United Nations, as inherently problematic. They call for the redistribution of care within the home and for more women to work in the formal economy as a way to achieve gender equality. However, the solutions they present are in many ways worse than the “problem” they seek to solve. This *Definitions* examines the treatment of care within the UN system and considers whether the policy prescriptions it promotes would actually improve the status of women in society and in the family.” To read the full paper, head over here.

A tribute to Charlie Kirk

Below is a reflection from IYc Co-Director Daniela Garcia:

“The whole world—and the conservative movement—has been shaken by the passing of Charlie Kirk. Charlie fought tirelessly for the pro-life and pro-family cause, dedicating his life to advancing the values that sustain our societies and bring hope to future generations. His death leaves a profound void in our mission, but it also strengthens our resolve to carry forward the legacy he so passionately built.

At the International Youth Coalition, a youth-led initiative of C-Fam, we recognize the power of mobilizing young conservatives within the United Nations and multilateral organizations. Charlie genuinely understood that the energy, conviction, and courage of young people are indispensable for advancing the cause of Christ, as well as the defense of life and family worldwide.

Charlie’s faith in the next generation inspires us to continue this fight with greater determination. As young leaders, we pledge to honor his vision and ensure that his legacy endures—not only in words, but through concrete action. His example compels us to rise with courage, speak truth kindly but boldly, and remain steadfast in the defense of life and family at every level of society.

The International Youth Coalition will do its part to carry the torch forward, mobilizing young conservatives to be a solid voice for truth where it matters most.”

We Are Back!