Archived: WMA Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide
Adopted by the 44th World Medical Assembly, Marbella, Spain, September 1992,
editorially revised by the 170th WMA Council Session, Divonne-les-Bains, France, May 2005,
reaffirmed by the 200th WMA Council Session, Oslo, Norway, April 2015 and
rescinded and archived by the 70th WMA General Assembly, Tbilisi, October 2019
* This document has been replaced by the completely rewritten “WMA Declaration on Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide” (2019)
Physician-assisted suicide, like euthanasia, is unethical and must be condemned by the medical profession. Where the assistance of the physician is intentionally and deliberately directed at enabling an individual to end his or her own life, the physician acts unethically. However the right to decline medical treatment is a basic right of the patient and the physician does not act unethically even if respecting such a wish results in the death of the patient.