Can we speak of the interests and rights of a child not yet conceived?

On Tuesday, 21 April, at 12 o’clock at the SASA Hall 2, Professor Gordana Kovaček Stanić will give a lecture titled Can we speak of the interests and rights of a child not yet conceived?

This lecture seeks to answer the fundamental question of whether it is possible to speak about the interests and rights of a child not yet conceived in the context of the child’s conception through the use of artificial (assisted) reproductive technologies (ART). It also considers whether society should take into consideration the interests of a future child, given that conception through ART is regulated in advance by law.

One possible interest or right to consider is the right to be cared for by two parents. This issue arises when a woman without a partner uses ART. It also happens in situations when a man without a partner uses surrogacy, leading to the fact that the child born in this way will have only one parent – ​​the father. Another situation happens in the case of a posthumous conception of a child. A child born in this way will only have one de facto parent – ​​the mother, although, in legal terms, both parents may be recognised.

In addition to the right to two-parent care,  other rights and interests of the child will be addressed, such as the child’s right to know his or her origins, inheritance rights, and health-related interests.