THE PROTECTION OF THE EMBRYO IN VITRO IN THE AMERICAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS: AN INTERPRETATION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

The Artavia and Murillo et al. Case was the first conviction of the State of Costa Rica by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in which the beginning of the protection of human (in vitro) pre-embryos was discussed, that is, the Interpretation of Article 4.1 of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights and the definition of the phrase "generally from the outset". The purpose of this paper is to establish the scope of the protection of human life by the Inter-American System of Human Rights, based on the predominantly deductive method, through the analysis of the decision of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the bibliographical revision of several periodicals, books and published works about the subject. Finally, it aims to demonstrate that the principle of human dignity must always be the parameter for the use of techniques of assisted human reproduction, even if insufficient or absent national legislation on the subject.