Is Dutch law on euthanasia compatible with international conventions guaranteeing the right to life?
The Dutch government does not believe that the new Act conflicts with its duty under international law to defend its citizens right to life against violation by government or by individuals. That duty is laid down, for example, in article 6 of the UNs International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). What underlies both provisions is respect for life. The conventions deprive government and others of the right to take an individuals life against his will (except in specified circumstances). These provisions are not intended to perpetuate unbearable suffering where there is no prospect of improvement, but rather to offer the individual protection against the violation of his right to life. Neither the wording nor the drafting procedure clarifies what constitutes such unlawful violation. It is generally believed that signatories to the conventions have considerable freedom to interpret their broadly worded provisi
