Oaths and codes: Hippocrates, the Declaration of Geneva and the Colombian oath
- International document
The Hippocratic oath, the Declaration of Geneva and the oath of Colombia's Law 23 of 1981 sum up a doctor's commitments.
What it is
The Hippocratic oath, from ancient Greece, is the best-known professional pledge in medicine. In 1948 the World Medical Association (WMA) adopted a modern version in Geneva, the Declaration of Geneva, revised several times, most recently in 2017. In Colombia, Law 23 of 1981 (Code of Medical Ethics) adopts in its article 2 the terms of the Geneva oath with an addition of its own, and requires every doctor to know it and swear to keep it. Codes of ethics turn what the oaths promise into rules.
Key points
- Hippocrates: the oath is sworn before the gods of medicine; it promises to honour the teacher, use the regimen for the benefit of the sick and give no deadly drug even if asked.
- Hippocrates: give no abortive pessary, enter homes only for the benefit of the sick and keep silent about what should not be spread.
- Geneva (2017): the patient's health and well-being come first; respect their autonomy and dignity; keep their secrets even after death.
- Geneva (2017): let no age, disease, disability, background or belief come in between; never use medical knowledge to violate human rights, even under threat.
- Law 23 of 1981, art. 2: devote one's life to the service of humanity, watch above all over the patient's health, keep the secrets confided and not discriminate by creed, nationality, race or social rank.
Historical context
- The Hippocratic oath belongs to the tradition of the Asclepiad physicians and was rewritten many times over the centuries.
- The Declaration of Geneva was adopted in 1948, after the war, at the WMA's second General Assembly.
- It was amended in 1968, 1983, 1994 and 2017, and editorially revised in 2005 and 2006.
- Law 23 of 1981 was regulated by Decree 3380 of 1981.
Today
- Many Colombian medical schools take the oath at the graduation ceremony.
- The oath of Law 23 speaks of caring for human life «from the moment of conception»; the 2017 Geneva version speaks of the utmost respect for human life.
- Breaches of medical ethics in Colombia are judged under Law 23 of 1981 by the medical ethics tribunals (art. 63 creates the National Tribunal).
Revisions and official text
- Declaration of Geneva: official text on wma.net, 2017 version.
- WMA International Code of Medical Ethics: last revised in Berlin, 2022.
- Law 23 of 1981: official text checked on 2026-11-05 in the Función Pública Gestor Normativo (funcionpublica.gov.co); regulated by Decree 3380 of 1981.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which body adopted the Declaration of Geneva, and in what year?
The World Medical Association, at its General Assembly in Geneva in 1948.
What did the 2017 revision of the Declaration of Geneva add?
Respect for patient autonomy, the doctor's duty to look after their own health and well-being, and the duty to share medical knowledge.
In which article of Colombia's Law 23 of 1981 is the Colombian medical oath?
In article 2, which adopts the terms of the WMA Geneva oath with an addition of its own.
What does the Hippocratic oath promise about what the doctor sees or hears of the patient?
To keep secret what should not be spread.
Connections
Educational content on ethics and health law; not legal advice. Laws and case law change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, read the text in force and ask a lawyer or the medical ethics tribunal.
Sources: Greek Medicine: the Hippocratic Oath (translation by Michael North, 2002) (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2002); WMA Declaration of Geneva (World Medical Association, 2017); Ley 23 de 1981, por la cual se dictan normas en materia de ética médica (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo (Colombia), 1981); Decreto 3380 de 1981, por el cual se reglamenta la Ley 23 de 1981 (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo (Colombia), 1981).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.