SPUC has called for a proposed UN prohibition of violence against children to include a global ban on abortion. Commenting on today's planned publication of a UN study on violence against children, John Smeaton, SPUC's national director, said: "We are deeply saddened by the report's findings. Abuse of children seems to be widespread, and a lot of that abuse is hidden.

"The gravest abuse of children is to deprive them of life before they are even born. Abortion is also often hidden from the public eye or forgotten about. Tragically, this UN study makes no reference the tens of millions of babies unjustly killed every year in countries throughout the world.

"However the fact is that UN conventions support care for children before they are born as well as after. There has been a failure by those charged with the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child properly to implement that convention in respect of all children without discrimination. Sadly, the convention has been unjustly interpreted by some nations and international bodies to limit its scope to born children.

"SPUC and its pro-life partners are petitioning the UN general assembly in support of unborn childrens' rights. We call on those nations which currently have in place legislation which permits abortion to review their policies as a matter of urgency and to take seriously the statement in the Declaration on the Rights of the Child and the subsequent Convention on the Rights of the Child which says: 'Whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth,'.

"Today's UN report urges the prohibition of all violence against children. We urge the UN to include a worldwide prohibition of abortion, the greatest of all violence against young, defenceless human beings."

The petition is being run by the Amnesty for Babies campaign.