Table 2: Palliative Care and the Right to Life
Examples of Human Rights Violations
- Unable to obtain pain medication, an AIDS patient is unable to adhere to required treatment and continue taking antiretrovirals. As a result, the patient does not have much time to live.
| Human Rights Standards | Treaty Body Interpretation |
| ICCPR 6(1): Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life. | None. |
Other Interpretations
HRC General Comment 6: Explaining that the right to life “should not be interpreted narrowly” or “in a restrictive manner,” and its protection “requires that States adopt positive measures . . . to increase life expectancy.” Paras. 1 and 5 (1982).