the end of the constitutional right to abortion poses a threat to minorities according to UN experts

The decision of the Supreme Court to revoke the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, on June 24, will have a disproportionate impact on minorities, alert Tuesday August 30 of the UN experts.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Cerd) has said “deeply concerned” by the decision of the Supreme Court, which buried a judgment guaranteeing for almost half a century the right of American women to have an abortion, and allowed several States to ban abortion.

The committee emphasizes “the deeply disparate impact” the revocation of the constitutional right to abortion “on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of racial and ethnic minorities”. “This decision is very unfortunate”, said South African expert Faith Dikeledi Pansy Tlakula. She called on the American authorities to remedy this “disparate impact (…) on racial minorities, Indigenous women and low-income people”. Washington must also “take steps to mitigate the risk of criminal prosecution” against women wishing to have an abortion and those who help them to do so, she added.

It was the first assessment of America’s record since 2014. Cerd experts also compiled a list of questions on topics of concern to them, such as racial profiling, excessive police brutality and unequal access to education. , housing and a healthy environment in the United States.

During public hearings in early August, the experts for the first time addressed the issue of reparations. Human rights defenders believe that the legacy of slavery and subsequent periods of exploitation, segregation and violence continue to be visible, including through policies in the areas of health, education and housing. Experts urged Washington to create a “commission to study and develop proposals for reparations for African Americans”.