Twenty African countries have endorsed a new charter affirming national sovereignty over issues including abortion, marriage and family policy, amid an ongoing debate over the influence of Western governments and international organisations on social policy across the continent.
Formally backed at a conference in Accra, Ghana, ‘The African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values’ sets out a series of principles covering family life, national resources, agriculture, trade and participation in international agreements.
Supporters say the document is intended to give African countries greater freedom to determine their own laws and policies without external pressure, particularly where international aid, diplomacy and treaties are concerned.
The charter defines marriage as “the union between a man and a woman” and recognises people as male or female.
According to the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), it also rejects the establishment of an international right to abortion under Article 7, challenging claims that this falls under “sexual and reproductive health” commitments.
Elsewhere, Article 4 urges participating governments to review and remove laws considered detrimental to the family.
The document also opposes laws permitting prostitution and rejects policies promoting gender identity.
SPUC chief executive John Deighan welcomed the adoption of the charter in the face of what he sees as Western countries’ attempts to export liberal ideology to developing nations.
“For too long a perverse West has been trying to force their malthusian contraception, violent abortion, and modern sexual expression upon third world nations, with African ones hit hardest,” he said. “It is a joy to see twenty good and moral nations fighting back despite the likely financial punishments they’ll receive.”
Saying they were “nations with a good moral fibre”, he added that Western countries should take lessons from the charter’s emphasis on “life, family, and sovereignty”.
“Development will never be analogous with abortion liberalisation and the dismantling of traditional family structures,” Deighan said.
Among its economic and agricultural provisions are calls for countries to safeguard indigenous seeds and farmer-managed systems, exercise greater authority over their natural resources, and reduce their reliance on the export of unprocessed commodities.
It also advocates removing obstacles to trade between African nations and raises concerns about the way international agreements are negotiated, arguing that African representatives can be presented with complicated documents without sufficient time to examine their implications.
South Africa did not endorse the charter, reportedly citing conflicts between some of its provisions and the country’s constitutional protections, including its recognition of same-sex marriage.
The charter emerges amid a wider discussion about relations between Africa and Western institutions on social and ethical issues.
Robert Sarah, Guinean Catholic Cardinal, recently accused the European Union of adopting a neocolonial approach towards Africa by seeking to advance Western social values on the continent.