The General Assembly,
Admiring the efforts of General Assembly Resolution #598 to ensure citizens of member states are afforded dignity and autonomy in their final days,
Concerned, however, that the resolution in question mandates several practices which unnecessarily increase the likelihood of abuse of this procedure, those being the following:
Section (1)(b)(ii) dictates that life-ending services are to be made available to those suffering from an incurable condition that “directly and severely compromises their quality of life with no realistic prospect of improvement,” a provision which is ill-suited,
- “Severely” is not elaborated upon in the form of a definition or guidance, opening the door for drastic variations in interpretation between citizens based on occupation, living situation, and access to mitigating care,
- In situations with a lack of “realistic prospect of improvement,” mitigating care may be available, especially for physical injuries. Governments should strive to provide this care as an alternative to euthanasia services,
Sections (2) and (3) require member states to fund euthanasia services and provide the necessary travel to obtain them, which is flawed as it imposes a burden on the member state’s government and potentially unduly incentivizes the euthanasia process,
- While there is a requirement for potential alternatives to euthanasia to be communicated to a patient in (1)(a), there is no requirement for the member state to provide those at its own expense as there is for euthanasia, potentially prompting worse-off citizens to choose euthanasia over treatment,
Reaffirming support for the dignity of those ill and injured, though unable to reconcile the flaws of this resolution,
Hereby repeals “Access to Euthanasia Services”.
