Mexico City Policy and Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning

This memorandum revokes the Mexico City Policy reinstated by President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003, which had prohibited foreign NGOs receiving U.S. assistance from using even non-U.S. funds for abortion-related counseling, referrals, or advocacy. It directs the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator to immediately waive these conditions in current grants, notify grantees of the waiver, and cease imposing such conditions in future grants.

Federal Register Open PDF 74 FR 4903

Impact dates

Jan 23, 2009
Immediately waive Mexico City Policy conditions in current grants
Jan 23, 2009
Notify current grantees that conditions have been waived
Jan 23, 2009
Cease imposing conditions in future grants

Key directives

Revoke Presidential memorandum of January 22, 2001 (Restoration of the Mexico City Policy)
Revoke Presidential memorandum of March 28, 2001 (Restoration of the Mexico City Policy)
Revoke Presidential memorandum of August 29, 2003 (Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning)
Immediately waive Mexico City Policy conditions in current grants
Notify current grantees as soon as possible that conditions have been waived
Immediately cease imposing these conditions in any future grants

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Waiver of Mexico City Policy conditions in current grants
Cessation of imposing conditions in future grants
Notification to current grantees of waiver

Near term (90d)

—

Long term

Restoration of eligibility for foreign NGOs previously excluded from US funding due to abortion-related activities
Shift in US foreign aid policy on reproductive health

Risks & tensions

Polarizing abortion politics in US foreign aid; subject to reversal by future administrations
Potential tension with anti-abortion constituencies and legislators
Vague 'as soon as possible' for grantee notification leaves minor implementation uncertainty