Members of the Global Respectful Maternity Care Council came together to update this charter, which clarifies and articulates the rights of women and newborns while receiving maternity care within a healthcare facility. It delineates how human rights are implicated during the time of pregnancy and childbirth and affirms the basic inalienable rights of women and their newborns. Many of these rights are clearly established in international law and have been interpreted and applied to issues arising during pregnancy, childbirth and in relation to the care provided immediately after birth. These rights are well-known and articulated in separate human rights conventions, however, to affirm adherence to them during pregnancy and child-birth, we have brought them together in one document with that singular focus.