abortion
Is there an international definion of when a fetus is alive?
<p>Is there any internationally recognised law that defines when, if ever, a fetus is considered alive and that terminating the pregnancy would be considered homicide?</p>

<p>No. Labeling an abortion as &quot;homicide&quot; would be a matter of criminal law and generally not the subject of international law.</p>
<p>There are no international laws or treaties limiting a woman's right to choose to terminate her pregnancy. On the contrary, international agreements are generally understood to protect a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy and do not attempt to define fetal viability or otherwise establish a point at which a fetus is treated as a life entitled to legal protection and recognition.</p>
<p>For instance, the UN Human Rights Committee’s <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CCPR/CCPR_C_GC_36.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">General Comment on the Right to Life</a> says that states may regulate abortions, but those regulations must not &quot;must not result in violation of the right to life of a pregnant woman or girl,&quot; and must not &quot;jeopardize their lives, subject them to physical or mental pain or suffering which violates article 7, discriminate against them or arbitrarily interfere with their privacy.&quot;</p>
<p>Laws governing medical abortions are jurisdiction-specific, and the <a href="https://reproductiverights.org/worldabortionlaws" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Center for Reproductive Rights</a> has a helpful guide to the legality of abortion in different countries.</p>
