U.S. Threatening to Veto U.N. Resolution Against Rape as Weapon of War

The U.S. is threatening to veto a United Nations resolution aimed at combating the use of sexual violence in war due to a phrase that reinforces the right of women to have access to reproductive health services, The Guardian reports. The U.S. is reportedly taking issue with a phrase in the resolution that states U.N. entities should “provide non-discriminatory and comprehensive health services, including sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial, legal and livelihood support and other multi-sectoral services for survivors of sexual violence, taking into account the specific needs of persons with disabilities.” Pramila Patten, the U.N. special representative on sexual violence in conflict, told the newspaper the resolution may not be adopted at Tuesday’s security council session due to the threat of the U.S. veto. “They are threatening to use their veto over this agreed language on comprehensive health-care services including sexual and reproductive health,” Patten said. “The language is being maintained for the time being and we’ll see over the next 24 hours how the situation evolves.”

The draft resolution had already been stripped of the establishment of a new monitoring body to observe sexual violence in conflict. The U.S.—along with Russia and China—reportedly opposed the creation of the new body. A spokesman for the U.S. mission told The Guardian it does “not comment on draft resolutions that are under active negotiation.”