Promoting the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health by Enhancing Capacity-Building in Public Health Against Pandemics Statement

A/HRC/PRST/30/2View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Presidential Statement of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 1 Organizational and procedural matters, published in 2015.

What subjects does this mandate have?

8 subjects

Anti-Discrimination Measures Capacity Building Disease Control Epidemics Health Care Delivery International Cooperation Public Health Right to Health

What’s in this document?

10 operative paragraphs

At the 42nd meeting, held on 2 October 2015, the President of the Human Rights Council made the following statement:

“The Human Rights Council:

Acknowledges that the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is a human right, as recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and calls for respect for and the promotion, protection and fulfilment of this right, including through intensified international cooperation enhancing capacity-building in global public health;

Expresses its deep concern at the outbreak of Ebola, which is still ongoing, in West Africa in 2014, and its unprecedented nature and scope, as well as its grave humanitarian, economic and social consequences;

Deplores the loss of lives and the wide social and economic impact caused by other pandemics, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, including non-communicable diseases;

Notes with concern the heavy disease burden borne by those living in poverty, especially in developing countries, including the least developed countries and small island developing States;

Emphasizes the need for intensified efforts to ensure universal respect for and the promotion, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all on the basis of equality, to reduce vulnerability to pandemics and to prevent related discrimination and stigma;

Recognizes the need to strengthen resilience and to promote integrated national health systems aimed at ensuring universal access to quality health-care services, universal health coverage, social infrastructures and services, to reinforce measures to eliminate discrimination of any kind, with respect for and for the promotion, protection and fulfilment of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health on the basis of equality, and in this regard to enhance access to information and education for all persons, especially for those in vulnerable situations;

Calls for the development of resilient and sustainable health systems, including through national efforts and international cooperation, with a view to accelerating the transition towards universal access to quality health-care services and universal health coverage in such a way as to promote undisrupted, affordable and accessible quality health-care services for all and to prevent large-scale pandemics;

Recognizes the values and principles of primary health care, including equity, solidarity, social justice, universal access to services, multisectoral action, transparency, accountability and community participation and empowerment;

Recalls the ministerial declaration adopted by the Economic and Social Council during its 2009 high-level segment on the theme “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health”, and in this regard emphasizes the importance of timely international cooperation in the area of health and in particular in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, including the need to cooperate on health research and development and tackling antimicrobial resistance based on the principles of mutual respect and equality, in the context of the International Health Regulations (2005) of the World Health Organization, with a view to strengthening capacity-building in public health, especially in developing countries through, inter alia, the exchange of information and the sharing of experience, as well as research and training programmes focusing on surveillance, prevention, control, response, and care and treatment;

Recognizes the vital and complementary role of civil society in responding to pandemics.”

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents