UNICEF Says Restricting Children’s Porn Access Infringes Human Rights.

A recent report from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that any attempts to block children from accessing online pornography could qualify as an infringement of human rights. A 2020 EU Kids Online Study claimed to have gathered data from 19 European Union (EU) countries proving that most children in most of the countries were “neither upset nor happy” after viewing pornographic images. The study even claimed that 39 percent of children in Spain were “happy” after exposure to pornography. The study concluded there may be a number of reasons why children would “intentionally seek out sexual content,” and that

sanctions

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Chinese Entities, Officials Using Magnitsky Human Rights Act

The U.S. Treasury has announced the sanctioning of Chinese entities and officials, including Communist Party chiefs, in relation to “serious human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.” The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned one Chinese government entity and four current or former government officials in connection with serious rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). These designations include Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party Secretary of XUAR, and Zhu Hailun, a former Deputy Party Secretary of the XUAR. Also designated today is the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB), as well

Will New Trump Admin Commission Reclaim Human Rights Debate?

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the creation of a State Department “Commission on Unalienable Rights.” This commission will reorient American foreign policy on human rights in a constitutional direction, focusing on the “unalienable rights” endowed by our creator and centering around the Bill of Rights. It also will reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and reflect the administration’s commitment to the family. Although many support the measure, others, particularly on the Left, are attempting to steer public discourse against the commission. But why, you may ask, would anyone oppose

A Right to Free Contraception? The Problem with Progressive “Rights”

Linda Greenhouse, writing for The New York Times earlier this month, laments: “On Contraception, It’s Church Over State.” Greenhouse opens with the statement “Saudi women are gaining the right to drive. American women are losing the right to employer-provided birth control.” The problems with her argument begin immediately. Modern rights ideology necessarily proceeds from the false premise of progressivism without regard for the authentic nature of a right. Once something is conceded to progressives — such as a “right to free contraception” — to rescind it violates their ideology. Lost in the ideological steamroll of this particular conversation, however, is the nature

US Rejects UN Resolution Calling for Increased Access to Abortions

On Thursday, furthering the Trump administration’s commitment not to promote abortion overseas, the US rejected a UN resolution on account of its abortion clause. The resolution, which was proposed by the Canadian delegates to the 47-member Human Rights Council, stated that all women should have access to “comprehensive sexual and health-care services” including “safe abortion where such services are permitted by national law.” Jason Mack, US First Secretary to the UN in Geneva, said in a statement to the UN’s Human Rights Council that although his country “strongly supports the spirit of this resolution and joins other members of this Council

UN Urges New York to Repeal Its “Restrictive” Abortion Laws

Yesterday, the United Nations told New York state senators that in order to more closely comply with “international human rights standards” they need to get rid of two of their state’s few abortion restrictions. The UN urged state senators to pass the Reproductive Health Act, a bill which would strike down New York’s 24-week abortion limit and decriminalize self-induced abortions. The bill was approved by the state assembly in January, and if the state Senate does not pass it before the legislative session ends today, it will die. Sponsored by State Senator Liz Krueger, Bill S2796 argues that the current

Is Sunshine Really a Human Right? California Says Yes

This article is part of series focusing on Lens of Liberty, a project of the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation. During her Liberty Minute titled “Let the Sun Shine,” Helen Krieble mentioned the conflicts which ensue when the government declares new rights favoring one group of people over another. In California, the solar energy lobby is so powerful that the legislature passed a law making direct sunshine a legal human right to which all citizens are entitled. That sounds nice, since we all like sunshine, but does that give one the right to sue his neighbor for letting a tree grow