NEW YORK (CWNews.com) - Pro-family groups at the UN's Beijing+5 Women's Conference this week are causing a large impact among the delegations, as feminist groups seek to rein in their influence.

    The five-year review of the 1995 women's conference began with feminist groups connected to the European Parliament complaining that "fundamentalist" youth have taken over the the conference's "youth caucus," according the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-fam). The pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Law and Policy said in a report that pro-family groups intend to "undermine the Beijing Platform’s consensus regarding (women's rights)."

    Work at the meeting has ground to a halt as delegations from industrialized countries have added numerous amendments to the draft statement which were objectionable to Arab and Catholic countries.

    "The western states are attempting to include 'sexual orientation' in the document," said C-fam in a report. "This attempt has caused a near riot within the G-77, pitting several new liberal governments of Latin America against the Arab states. One of the problems for pro-family lobbyists is the recent electoral changes in Latin America that have seen pro-life presidents in Argentina and Guatemala replaced by those who are more liberal."

    The group also said that the document is also replete with references to "reproductive rights," always the most divisive issue at UN conferences. Pro-life lobbyists are most alarmed by the attempt of the Canadian government to equate reproductive "rights" with human rights. This could have the effect of forcing governments to change their laws on abortion. The Canadians are also calling for abortion "rights" for girls.

    "The atmosphere of the meeting is tense, sometimes hostile," C-fam said. "Pro-life lobbyists have been turned out of NGO meetings that are supposed to be open. Pro-lifers have not been allowed to speak in numerous meetings."