Delegates aim to form a pro-life Core Group at the UN after New York forum

# What happened

Politicians, diplomats and pro-life activists gathered in New York for the Global Forum for Life, Family and Freedoms (17–18 September). Participants discussed creating a Pro-Life Core Group at the United Nations to act as a diplomatic instrument for coordinating pro-life and pro-family governments.

# Why organisers want a Core Group

Organisers described the UN's LGBTI Core Group as a concentrated diplomatic force made up of roughly 40 countries that channels funding to pro-LGBT organisations and incubates new initiatives. Their stated aim is to create a "mirror image" that would allow like-minded states to coordinate policy, representation and funding in favour of pro-life and pro-family positions at the UN and internationally.

# Declaration as a working base

Forum participants discussed using the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD) as the basis for coordination. The GCD sets out several principles cited by forum organisers: that there is no international right to abortion, that the family is the basic unit of society, and that states retain the right to determine their own health policies. More than 40 countries are described as aligned with the GCD, and the United States is identified as holding the declaration's secretariat role.

# Next steps discussed

# The meeting's character and participants

The New York forum included several pro-family organisations and diplomatic figures. The event featured an appearance by US Under-Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Organisers and participants framed parts of the meeting in faith language, at times describing it as "an adventure of faith" and expressing a hope that God would bless their efforts.

# What this means going forward

If organisers secure a convening committee and some form of UN recognition, the Pro-Life Core Group would provide an institutional vehicle for coordinated diplomatic activity, funding strategies, and policy promotion aligned with the GCD. The proposal aims to concentrate political will and resources in the same way organisers say the LGBTI Core Group has done for its priorities.

# What the coverage reports

This briefing is based on reporting that summarised the New York forum's publicly stated goals: establishing a Pro-Life Core Group at the UN, leveraging the Geneva Consensus Declaration, forming a convening committee, and seeking UN recognition. Reports highlight the explicitly faith-based tone of the meeting and the participation of government officials and pro-family organisations.

# Bottom line