Introduction
Imagine a world where the decision for a woman to have an abortion is no longer up to them, but now it is dictated by state laws and new political agendas. How much control will women have over their own futures? The article U.S. Reaffirms There Is No ‘Human Right’ to Abortion; Rejoins the Geneva Consensus Declaration was written by an international human rights lawyer named Elyssa Koren. It discusses how the United States has rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which according to the US Department of State defends health and development improvements for females, protects life at all stages (including in the womb), defends family as the fundamental unit of society, and to function together in the UN system to recognize these the importance of these ideas (Rubio 2025 p1). The author uses rhetorical appeals throughout the article to argue that rejoining the Geneva Consensus Declaration is essential for protecting human rights. Koren cites legal arguments to argue that abortion is not an international right to appeal with logos, she uses emotionally charged diction to show that abortion advocacy is a negative thing to appeal with pathos, and emphasizes her legal expertise to enhance her credibility along with connecting to Donald Trump to appeal with ethos.
Logos
The author uses logos to appeal to the audience's logic and reasoning by referring to the Declaration and referencing legal implications. Firstly, when the author discusses how the U.S. was a founding member of the Geneva Consensus Declaration, the author quotes “The Declaration affirms that, “every human being has the inherent right to life” and declares that there is no international obligation to promote or fund abortion.” (Koren 2025 p5). This is an example of logos because it directly refers to the declaration to support the argument that abortion is not an international human right. Additionally, when the author mentions an opinion from a lawyer from ADF international, she mentions “Returning the U.S. to the coalition carries significant legal weight in that it prevents the emergence of a false ‘human right’ to abortion by customary international law.” (Koren 2025 8). This is an instance of logos because it mentions legal implications (rejoining the coalition prevents the establishment of abortion as a customary international law.) It suggests that staying in the coalition can prevent a misleading legal precedent and that staying in the coalition can help maintain national sovereignty.
Pathos
The author uses pathos to appeal to the reader's emotions and feelings about our future. The first case of the author using pathos is when her word choice tries to shift the audience's opinion on this situation. Specifically, “This is a massive shift away from the virulent abortion promotion that characterized the Biden administration’s international engagement, particularly in the developing world,” (Koren 2025 8). This is an example of pathos because the word choice “virulent abortion promotion” appeals to emotions such as fear and disgust. This language choice portrays the previous administration's stance in a negative way. Additionally, it paints abortion advocacy as dangerous which may strike fear or anger in the audience. This oversimplifies this issue with strong language to persuade the reader. Another key example of the author using strong diction is in the following quote, “Returning the U.S. to the coalition carries significant legal weight in that it prevents the emergence of a false ‘human right’ to abortion by customary international law." (Koren 2025 3). This statement appeals to the reader's fear that international law can be manipulated in order to promote a certain agenda they may not support. By calling abortion a “false human right” it suggests that abortion advocates are trying to redefine human rights. Therefore, by presenting abortion rights as a false human right rather than a real issue in our legal system, this argument persuades the audience by striking concern and urgency.
Ethos
The author uses ethos by referring to a well-renowned figure in the article to prove credibility to the reader. Firstly, when the author is making her final statement on rejoining the Geneva Consensus Declaration she commends Donald Trump. “I commend President Donald J. Trump for fulfilling his promise to rejoin the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), a first-of-its-kind global coalition of nations dedicated to improving women’s health, strengthening families, affirming that abortion is not an international human right, and upholding the sovereign right of nations to govern free from ideological colonialism.” (Koren 2025 11). By commending an assertive figure such as the president of the United States for upholding the promise, the reader may find this more agreeable if they already support Trump. This rhetorical strategy adds to the persuasiveness of the entire argument, specifically for an audience that views Trump favorably because they may be more likely to accept the author's claims. Additionally, the author repeatedly mentions Elyssa Koren’s title as an international human rights lawyer and this is a way of using ethos as it supports her credibility on the topic. When she consistently identifies herself within the article as a legal expert, the article makes her seem like someone who is very educated in international law and human rights. Overall, this makes her statements more persuasive because the reader is more likely to trust the opinion of an expert in the field.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the author of this article effectively uses rhetorical appeals to persuade the audience that rejoining the Geneva Consensus is a necessary step in order to protect life at all stages. Through logos, the author presents legal arguments and references official declarations to prove that abortion should not be an international human right. By using pathos, the author uses emotionally charged diction to strike fear, urgency, and moral beliefs within the audience. Lastly, the author uses ethos through the credibility of legal experts and political leaders such as President Donald Trump to make her argument seem more reliable and backed up. Preexisting beliefs also play a major role in the effectiveness of these appeals in the end, but the article strategically frames the issue to influence our perceptions on the abortion policy in our country.
References
Koren, E. (n.d.). U.S. Reaffirms There Is No ‘Human Right’ to Abortion; Rejoins the Geneva Consensus Declaration. U.S. Department of State. https://adfinternational.org/news/us-rejoins-pro-life-declaration
Rubio, M. (n.d.). United States Renewed Membership in the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family. U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/united-states-renewed-membership-in-the-geneva-consensus-declaration-on-promoting-womens-health-and-strengthening-the-family/