The Right to Life of the Unborn in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Through the Prism of the Drafting Process

Abstract

After the 75th anniversary of adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we can state that some of its provisions still cause discussions about a basic and inherent right – the right to life. Getting a new “breath” after the Roe v. Wade case’s overturning, the battle between women’s abortion rights supporters and the protectors of the right to life for the unborn seems to get a new round. Worldwide experts in different fields start to find new arguments or remember the old ones to have solid proof in the discussions. It is too hard to find a more fundamental international document in the human rights field than the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which can be used in this case. Many scholars’ papers claim that the Declaration is only for an already-born person and does not cover the unborn one. However, such a vision is incorrect and causes many misunderstandings and false interpretations of the international basis of human rights protection. This work will try to dispel the myth that the Declaration was written only for a born person. After analyzing hundreds of documents from the Declaration drafting process, using historical facts and drafters’ statements, we hope to shed light on the real essence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights about the right to life.