UPDATE 1-US rejoining international anti-abortion pact

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday the United States was rejoining an international accord that critics say aims to limit abortion access for millions of women and girls around the world. The State Department said on Friday that one of the four objectives of the pact was to "protect life at all stages." Abortion has been a divisive issue in U.S. politics.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday the United States was rejoining an international accord that critics say aims to limit abortion access for millions of women and girls around the world. "Today, the United States informed signatories of the Geneva Consensus Declaration of our intent to rejoin immediately," Rubio said in a statement late on Friday.

The Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD) was co-sponsored by the United States, Brazil, Uganda, Egypt, Hungary and Indonesia in 2020 when Trump was in office during his first term. His administration said at the time the GCD sought better healthcare for women and the preservation of human life, while also strengthening family as the foundational unit of society and protecting each nation's sovereignty.

The group now has more than 35 signatories. The State Department said on Friday that one of the four objectives of the pact was to "protect life at all stages."

Abortion has been a divisive issue in U.S. politics. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion.