World leaders react to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

The international community is speaking out after Friday’s landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, marking a major change in abortion rights in the United States. 

In the dissenting opinion, the court’s three liberal justices, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, wrote the U.S. “will become international outliers after today.”

Below is a look at the reactions of some of the world’s highest leaders. 

United Nations

UN Secretary General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday reiterated the organization’s position on abortion: “That sexual and reproductive health and rights are the foundation of a life of choice, empowerment and equality for the world’s women and girls.” 

“It’s also important to note that restricting access to abortion does not prevent people from seeking abortion; it only makes it more deadly,” Dujarric added. “UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) tells us that some 45 per cent of all abortions around the world are unsafe, making it a leading cause of maternal [death].” 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called the ruling a “major setback.”

“Access to safe, legal and effective abortion is firmly rooted in international human rights law and is at the core of women and girls’ autonomy and ability to make their own choices about their bodies and lives, free of discrimination, violence and coercion,” Bachelet said. “This decision strips such autonomy from millions of women in the U.S., in particular those with low incomes and those belonging to racial and ethnic minorities, to the detriment of their fundamental rights.”

United Kingdom

“Look, I’ll be absolutely clear with everybody. This is not our court,” U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday, according to the Associated Press. “It’s another jurisdiction. But clearly, it has massive impacts on people’s thinking around the world. It’s a very important decision.”

“I’ve got to tell you, I think it’s a big step backwards,” he added. “I’ve always believed in a woman’s right to choose and I stick to that view and that’s why the UK has the…