Giovanna Abbiati of the Maruzza Foundation, Rome, Italy, explains the background to the Trieste Charter and its purpose in safeguarding the rights of children who are nearing the end of their lives.

Dying Child project – was launched in 2012 by a multidisciplinary team of paediatric and palliative care experts with the intent of safeguarding the rights of children nearing the end of their lives. Numerous international organisations have already endorsed the Trieste Charter. It is our objective to encourage its diffusion as widely as possible so that everyone caring for a dying child is capable of staying near and providing support that ensures both respect and dignity until the last moment of the child’s life.

The human rights principles, on which the Trieste Charter is based, pertain to all individuals and were originally outlined in two historic documents ratified by the United Nations: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and The Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1989). These two documents, along with other subsequent human rights bills, have been adopted by most countries around the world.