There is momentum within the pro-life and pro-family movement in high-level international politics — as I noted in an article regarding the reorganization of conservative forces in high-level politics during last month’s United Nations General Assembly.

This month, Colombia has rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, from which the government of former leftist guerrilla Gustavo Petro had withdrawn the country in 2022.

On October 8, the Foreign Ministry announced the signing of the accession agreement, which took place at the headquarters of Colombia’s Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS), led by Ambassador Alejandro Ordóñez Maldonado.

The United States currently holds the Secretariat of the Declaration, having taken over the role from Hungary.

In its statement, the South American nation’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that the Declaration “reaffirms that there is no international right to abortion, nor any international obligation for States to fund or facilitate it.”

Colombia had previously joined the declaration in May 2022 under the presidency of Iván Duque, with Ordóñez also serving as ambassador to the OAS. Petro withdrew the country from the coalition on August 22 of that same year — just two weeks after taking office — according to the Spanish newspaper Evangélico Digital.

The Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family was launched in 2020 at the initiative of the United States. It was signed on October 22 of that year, with culturally diverse nations such as Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, and Uganda serving as regional co-founders.

The signatories undertake four commitments: to improve the health of women and girls; to affirm that there is no international right to abortion; to strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society; and to defend each nation’s sovereignty in setting its own health policy.

The text further reaffirms equal rights for men and women, calls for comprehensive health care during pregnancy and childbirth, and establishes that abortion should not be promoted as a method of family planning and that its regulation is a matter for each country to decide.

A growing coalition of countries from five continents, representing approximately two billion people, has rallied around these principles.

Colombia’s accession comes at a time when the signatory countries are seeking to take the next step. Diplomats, lawmakers, and pro-life activists gathered in New York at the Global Forum for Life, Family, and Freedoms to establish the first pro-life “Core Group” at the United Nations. The Geneva Consensus Declaration serves as the foundation for this initiative.

During the Forum — which coincided with the U.N. General Assembly — participants agreed to create a Convening Committee to design a coordination mechanism between governments and to seek official recognition for the Core Group within multilateral bodies.

With Colombia joining this effort, the chances of success increase.

Although the nation’s foreign minister stated that adhering to the Declaration does not alter Colombian legislation or the jurisprudence of its high courts, it does represent a political and diplomatic commitment.

The new Colombian president, Abelardo de la Espriella, aims for a foreign policy aligned with the Trump administration that strengthens alliances in international forums based on Christian principles. At the same time, this push on the foreign front to defend the right to life and the family is mirrored by a corresponding effort on the domestic front. In a conversation with the author of this article, David Cote — a Representative to the Chamber for Bogotá for the 2026?"2030 term — stated that one of Colombia’s major challenges is confronting the “demographic winter.”

“Fewer and fewer children are being born, and this will have profound social, economic, and cultural consequences in the coming decades,” said the politician from the Democratic Center party. “Therefore, it is necessary to promote public policies that strengthen the family and create favorable conditions for motherhood and child-rearing.”

In that same vein, Cote highlighted the challenge of addressing the phenomenon of commercial surrogacy.

“Those of us who champion a pro-life agenda will continue to promote legal reforms and legal debates regarding the regulation of abortion in Colombia,” the politician noted. “The protection of life must be strengthened, and — within democratic and institutional frameworks — it is legitimate to pursue legislative, constitutional, or jurisprudential changes aligned with that conviction.”