The current importance of the research topic stems from the fact that abortion has always remained a rather acute topic for violent disputes between its supporters and opponents. The position of the states in this matter has never been and cannot become similar, at least because of the difference in scientific and technical development, the level of life and the level of medicine, religion and traditions. The recognition of a woman's right to abortion is a controversial and still unresolved issue among the global community. The paper develops a new theoretical conceptual framework of legal study: it considers the termination of pregnancy in the context of the international legal protection of the rights of the child, and focuses on the legal protection of the unborn child. The above framework has shaped the research goal: to analyse international legislation with regard to two controversial rights, namely the right of a woman to dispose of her body or the life of an unborn child. The research followed qualitative methodology and used comparative legal analysis as the main tool. Legal content analysis and interpretation techniques were also used. The research materials included basic international legal documents, both at the universal and at the regional levels, dedicated to the protection of the rights of the child. The study focused on international legal instruments in the field of human rights in order to identify the provisions on the protection of the rights of the unborn child. The research findings made it possible to identify challenges within international legislation regarding the rights of an unborn child that the research explored and qualified.