OTTAWA - A leading international rights watchdog has told the Harper government to include abortion in its G8 maternal health initiative while adding the caution that Canada's global reputation on human rights has eroded.

A top official with New York-based Human Rights Watch raised the controversial abortion stance with one of Canada's senior organizers of the June 25-26 G8 leaders' summit in a meeting earlier this week at the Foreign Affairs Department.

"It's important that maternal health is being raised at the G8. This is long overdue," Phil Robertson, the deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch said in an interview Wednesday.

"That said, we think that the services on offer that are supported by the G8 should be comprehensive — nothing should be left out. These services really need to be driven by the needs on the ground and that includes ensuring access to safe abortions."

Robertson met with the Canada's "Sous-Sherpa" Keith Christie.

Robertson refused to discuss Christie's response. The Conservative government has insisted it can offer a full menu of assistance, including food security, to help poor kids and moms in Africa, Asia and Latin America without funding abortion.

Read more: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/health/canadas-human-rights-record-has-eroded-under-harper-government-watchdog-95456449.html