The United States Constitution primarily establishes limits on federal power by prohibiting the federal government from regulating certain areas. However, this is not true of the constitutions of many other countries, which may establish affirmative duties of government to provide certain rights and benefits to the country’s citizenry. Similarly, many United Nations (UN) treaties obligate governmental parties to take affirmative steps to protect and promote the rights described within the treaty. This piece will briefly describe how constitutional and international law may be utilized to reduce maternal mortality in critical areas.
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