On Tuesday, April 4 the World Conference on Women continued developing Working Papers 1.1.1 and 1.1.2,  Legalization of the Commercial Sex Industry.

Working Paper 1.1.1 which favored the legalization of the Commercial Sex Industry was read by the delegates from the United Kingdom and Brazil. Amendments led to Working Paper 1.1.1 to be tabled since no sponsoring countries were mentioned.

During the reading of Working Papers, Sub-Secretary General Caro visited the World Conference on Women to announce Iran had lost its vote. The delegation lost a Challenge to Competence in IAEA. This led to the delegations of Working Paper 1.1.2 to change their heads of block.

Working Paper 1.1.2 which was against the legalization of the Commercial Sex Industry was read by the delegates from The United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. Multiple amendments by the delegate from the United Kingdom led to Working Paper 1.1.2 to be tabled off after it was left with 6 resolutive clauses, one less than the required amount for a Working Paper to be considerable.

“We’re not punishing a woman’s sexulaity but we’re not promoting the commercialization of a woman’s service of sex. So a woman basically, can have sex with whomever she wants, she can’t sell it. If she’s going to have sex, she has to do it voluntarily, not because somebody is paying her to do it,” the delegate from the United States explained.

The World Conference on Women failed to adopt a solution for the first topic. Lobby time was given to the delegates for them to write press releases regarding the topic at hand.

After the press releases were read, the topic was closed. The opening speeches for the second topic, Reproductive Rights and Maternal Care were read and 50 minutes of unmoderated caucus began the debate.

“Abortion is a choice and a woman’s body is hers and hers only. Abortion is not the termination of a life because the definition of a fetus is an unborn or unhatched vertebrate especially after attaining the basic structural plan of its kind. It is a human in development not a human being itself, therefore abortion is not murder or killing,” the delegate from the United Kingdom, quoting from Merriam Webster Dictionary, stated in her first intervention.

The debate on Reproductive Rights and Maternal Care in the World Conference on Women continues today and tomorrow.