On October 30, 2018, the Human Rights Committee adopted its General Comment no. 36 on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the right to life. The General Comment includes legal clarification on the prohibition against arbitrary deprivation of life, the duty to protect life, imposition of the death penalty, and the relationship of Article 6 with other articles of the Covenant and other legal regimes. It also notably discusses abortion, stating that although governments “may adopt measures designed to regulate voluntary terminations of pregnancy, such measures must not result in violation of the right to life of a pregnant woman or girl, or her other rights under the Covenant.” It further provides greater clarification on methods of accountability, protection of the rights of prisoners, and the protection of human rights defenders against reprisals. It also replaces General Comments No. 6 (16th session) and 14 (23rd session) adopted by the Committee in 1982 and 1984, respectively. The press release notes that the adoption process for this General Comment “had been very lengthy, but the upside was a very thoroughly revised text,” and that it “was meant to codify the Committee’s existing jurisprudence and practice on the right to life.”