The dissension occurred at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which convened it’s annual two-week meeting at UN headquarters in New York. The reaction of Malta and Poland happened after the EU tried to shift the meeting’s agenda to include the right to abortion.

On Thursday afternoon, the head of Malta’s mission to the UN, Ambassador Saviour F. Borg was quoted to have said that “Malta would like to clarify its position with respect to the language relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights in the [EU] statement. Malta firmly continues to maintain that any position taken or recommendations made regarding women’s empowerment and gender equality should not in any way create an obligation on any party to consider abortion as a legitimate form of reproductive health rights, services or commodities.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Radoslaw Mleczko, the Polish Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, told the gathering of UN Member States that Poland generally aligned itself with the EU but that any EU reference to sexual and reproductive health could not include abortion.

The split in the European Union is significant because the EU hardly ever splits on questions of social policy at the UN.

Pro-life and pro-family issues were also remarked by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s opening speech to the commission. He criticized the now widespread practice of choosing abortions based on the sex of the baby, an issue that was all but taken off the agenda at last year’s CSW despite solid support from both civil society and numerous governmental delegations. The Secretary-General also highlighted the importance of families and children.

The CSW meeting continues next week.