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How the Dobbs ruling put the United States in violation of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights

The June 2022 Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization eliminated federal constitutional protection for access to abortion in the United States. Following Dobbs, more than a dozen states fully banned abortion, and many others passed or proposed increased restrictions. This violates a range of rights under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including the rights to life, to be free from torture and other ill-treatment, to privacy, to be free from discrimination, and to free expression and movement.

On October 17-18, 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Committee reviews U.S. compliance with the ICCPR, including the impact of Dobbs on its human rights obligations. Global Justice Center, State Innovation Exchange, Amnesty International, Ipas, Human Rights Watch, RH Impact, and Obstetricians for Reproductive Justice submitted this report to the Committee that details the human rights violations caused by Dobbs in the U.S.

Authors: Global Justice Center, State Innovation Exchange, Amnesty International, Ipas, Human Rights Watch, RH Impact, and Obstetricians for Reproductive Justice
Year: 2023