A/HRC/24/22 Rights and the International Covenants on human rights. Given that the natural family in fact played a pivotal role in education and transmitting the core values that underpinned the human rights project and established stability and prosperity, in order to progressively implement all human rights, the natural family and children should be protected through family laws. 48. The Christian Family Movement, Panama, citing examples, stressed the importance and the fundamental values of the right to life and family and the protection thereof. Those values were common to every country. States in the United Nations system had their own values, and tolerance within that system signified that no supervision was needed, since freedom was achieved when human beings lived according to well-grounded values. 49. Catholics for Choice, United States, to shape and advance sexual and reproductive ethics based on justice, reflected a commitment to women’s well-being, and affirmed the capacity of women and men to make moral decisions. For many Catholics, the teachings of the Church served as moral and spiritual guides. Owing to their ancient roots, these could be considered as traditional values of humankind. Policymakers must not only respect freedom of religion and religious pluralism, but also ensure that religion was not used to discriminate. As opposing views were common in issues of sexuality and reproductive health, for example with regard to the use of contraceptives and the discord between certain traditional beliefs and the recognition of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (LGBT), Catholic teachings instructed not to allow religion to be used to discriminate. 50. Concerned Women for America, United States, emphasized the role of marriage, family and civil society in preserving human rights. Unwarranted changes in family structures, which were profoundly reshaping our postmodern society especially in Europe, were threatening the human rights and dignity of citizens. Cohabitation, which was increasingly displacing marriage and not promoting healthy, stable and lasting relationships, was an example. Promiscuity, infidelity and diminishing trust between couples, further incentivized by divorce law and same-sex marriage, endangered the foundation of traditional family values. The consequences of the decline in marriage and breakdown of the family had not only negatively affected generations of individuals on a personal level but also undermined social institutions, shaken the stability of nations and basic human dignity and rights. 51. The Contemporary Foundation, Argentina, stated that human dignity and human rights must be entirely protected as they were indivisible. Traditional values shared by all humankind went beyond traditions and customs and were rooted in the essence of all human beings. While practices and customs were valued differently in different traditions, human values would always be compatible with human rights as both emanated from the same source. Values which went against human dignity were not part of those human values. 52. Fundación Amando La Vida, Colombia, asserted the importance of the right to life, liberty and security of the person, which were fundamental to the exercise of other human rights. State laws, public policies, development plans and the adoption of measures which respect the right to life and to a family as universal values were important for the protection of human rights. The foundation considered motherhood not only to be a unique opportunity for women but also indispensable for a sustainable society. Pregnant women and unborn children must be protected. 53. Fundación Sí a la Vida, El Salvador, asserted that the right to life and family, consisting of a father, a mother and children, were universal values that promoted and facilitated the understanding and implementation of human rights. The right to life, protected by article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, started from the 11