Abstract
Abstract
This article is about how somatic gene therapy can be legally regulated and risk assessed as medical treatment when taking the following international human rights conventions into consideration: the right to life in Article 2 of the ECHR and the right to health in Article 12 of ICESCR . The right to life can involve both protection against risky genetic methods and access to necessary health care. In this context, human rights can be a basis for identifying interests that must be considered in a rapid technological development. Focusing mainly on human rights to life and to health, it is argued (1) against a total ban or general moratoriums on gene editing; (2) that regulations should be based on international cooperation and consensus; and that (3) rights to health may involve obligations to provide access to genetic methods.