US toughens policy against foreign NGOs that perform abortions

March 26, 2019 23:38

The United States announced on Tuesday it is toughening a policy denying funding to foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortions.

When he came to power in 2017, US President Donald Trump restored the policy first announced by then president Ronald Reagan in 1984 at an international conference in Mexico City.

Since then, Democratic presidents have scrapped the rule and Republican ones have reinstituted it.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Tuesday a tightening of the policy, saying the US will refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs that give financial support to other foreign groups involved in what he called the "global abortion industry."

"We will enforce a strict prohibition on backdoor funding schemes and end-runs around our policy. American taxpayer dollars will not be used to underwrite abortions," Pompeo told reporters.

In 2017, progressive and women's advocacy groups criticised the Trump administration for reinstituting the so-called Mexico City policy.

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