Draft Code of Medical Ethics

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 91b Draft Code of Medical Ethics, published in 1982.

What other versions does this mandate have?

3 versions · 1980–1982

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
1982	A/RES/36/61	Draft Code of Medical Ethics	534	13%Compare
1981	A/RES/35/179	Draft Code of Medical Ethics	1,838	10%Compare
1980	A/RES/34/168	Draft code of medical ethics	347	–

What subjects does this mandate have?

3 subjects

Medical Ethics Principles Prisoner Treatment

What’s in this document?

3 operative paragraphs

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I.

Takes note with appreciation of the comments on the proposed principles of medical ethics endorsed by the Executive Board of the World Health Organization which were received by the Secretary-General from Governments, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations; 73 2.

Requests the Secretary-General to circulate among Member States for their further comments the revised draft principles of medical ethics set forth in the annex. to the present resolution;

Decides to consider this question at its thirty-seventh session with a view to adopting the draft Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the role of health personnel in the protection of persons against torture and other cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Prisoners and detainees have the same rights to the protection of physical or mental health and the treatment of disease as those who are not in prison or detained.

It is a gross contravention of medical ethics for health personnel. in particular physicians, having clinical responsibility for prisoners or detainees, to engage, actively or passively, in acts which constitute participation in, complicity in, incitement to or attempts to commit. torture or other cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 74 3 It is a contravention of medical ethics for health personnel, in particular physicians. to be involved in any relationship with prisoners or detainees that is not a medical relationship in the sense that its purpose is the protection or improvement of the physical or mental health of the prisoner or detainee.

It is also a contravention of medical ethics for health personnel. in particular physicians:

(al To apply their knowledge and skills in order to assist in methods of interrogation:

(/,)

To certify prisoners or detainees tit for any form of punishment that may adversely affect physical or mental health.

Participation of health personnel. in particular physicians, in any ~ procedure for restraining prisoners or detainees, is not in conformity with medical ethics unless it is detem1ined by purely medical criteria in a manner which presents no hazarJ to the health of prisoners or detainee, and is necessary for the physical or mental health and safety of the prisoner himself and/or of his fellow prisoners or detainees or of his guardians 6 There may be no derogation from the foregoing principles nn an1 ground whatsoever. including public emergency.

"See A/35/372 and Add.1--1. A/36/140 and Add.1-4.

'" For the purpose of the present Declaration, torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering. whether physical or mental. is intentionally inflicted by. or at the instigation of. a publi,· official on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or confession, punishing him for an act he has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating him or other persons: it does not include pain or suffering arising only from. inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions to the extent consistent with the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment prepared by the Secretariat (United Nations publication. Sales No. of Prisoners. Torture con,titutes an aggravated and deliberate form ol cruel. E.81.IV.4), chap. I, sect. B. inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

83 Official Records of" the G,·neml A.1·.,,·m/,/1-, l11irtr-1·i.rth Ses•w11. ·'"I'

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

I.

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