Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
About the mandate
Special Rapporteur on the right to health
The Special Rapporteur has been mandated to pay attention to groups in vulnerable or marginalized situations, to apply a gender perspective, and to address the needs of children in the realization of the right to health.
For this, the Special Rapporteur keeps in mind relevant international human rights provisions, and in particular, Article 12 of ICESCR. A cornerstone protection of the right to health, this article introduces legally binding provisions that apply to all individuals. It is further elaborated in General Comment No. 14 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).
The Special Rapporteur also takes into account additional right-to-health protections for groups in vulnerable and marginalized situations. These protections are contained in group-specific international treaties: ICERD, CEDAW, CRC, CRPD), and other relevant instruments.
Activities of the Special Rapporteur
The Special Rapporteur implements the mandate through different means and activities, including:
- Presenting annual reports to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly on the activities and studies undertaken in the view of the implementation of the mandate (see annual thematic reports);
- Monitoring the situation of the right to health throughout the world;
- Identifying trends related to the right to physical and mental health;
- Undertaking country visits to get a first-hand account of the situation concerning the right to health in a specific country (see country visits);
- Communicating with States and other concerned parties regarding alleged cases of violations of the right to health and other issues related to the mandate; and
- Promoting the full realization of the right to health through dialogue with relevant actors by participating in seminars, conferences and expert meetings.
Resolutions establishing and renewing the mandate
|
HRC Session |
Symbol, link to document and year |
Title |
| 42 | A/HRC/RES/42/16 (2019) | The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable |
|
33 |
A/HRC/RES/33/9 (2016) |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (renewal of mandate) |
|
24 |
A/HRC/RES/24/6 (2013) |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (renewal of mandate) |
|
15 |
A/HRC/RES/15/22 (2010) |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (renewal of mandate) |
|
6 |
A/HRC/RES/6/29 (2007) |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (renewal of mandate) |
|
HRC Commission |
Symbol, link to document and year |
Title |
|
61 |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (renewal of mandate) |
|
|
58 |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (establishment of mandate) |
Thematic or health-related resolutions and decisions
|
HRC Session |
Symbol, link to document and year |
Title |
| 44 | A/HRC/RES/44/33 | State central role in responding to pandemics and other health emergencies, and the socioeconomic consequences thereof in advancing sustainable development and the realization of all human rights (report by OHCHR) |
| 41 | A/HRC/RES/41/10 | Access to medicines and vaccines (intersessional seminar and report by OHCHR) |
| 38 | A/HRC/RES/38/8 | HIV/AIDS (panel discussion by OHCHR) |
| 36 | A/HRC/RES/36/13 | Mental health (panel discussion and report by OHCHR) |
|
35 |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development |
|
|
32 |
Mental health (report by OHCHR) |
|
|
32 |
Capacity-building and public health (panel discussion by OHCHR) |
|
|
32 |
Access to medicines (panel discussion by OHCHR) |
|
| 30 | A/HRC/RES/30/8 | HRC contribution to the high-level meeting on HIV/AIDS in 2016 (report by OHCHR) |
|
26 |
Sport and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors (requesting report to SR) |
|
|
23 |
Access to medicines (general resolution) |
|
| 22 | A/HRC/RES/22/32 | Right of the child to health (report by OHCHR) |
|
17 |
Access to medicines (report by SR) |
|
| 16 | A/HRC/RES/16/28 | HIV/AIDS (general resolution) |
| 12 | A/HRC/RES/12/27 | HIV/AIDS (study by the SG) |
|
12 |
Access to medicines (expert consultation by OHCHR) |
|
|
2 |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health |
|
|
HRC Commission |
Symbol, link to document and year |
Title |
|
60 |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (general focus) |
|
|
59 |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (focus on violence) |
|
|
58 |
Access to medication in the context of pandemics such as HIV/AIDS |
|
|
57 |
Human Rights and bioethics |
|
|
57 |
Access to medication in the context of pandemics such as HIV/AIDS |
Resolutions of the General Assembly, including under the Global Health and Foreign Policy Initiative
|
GA Session |
Symbol, link to document and year |
Title |
| 74 | A/RES/74/306 | Comprehensive and coordinated response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic |
| 73 | A/RES/74/132 | Global health and foreign policy: a healthier world through better nutrition |
| 73 | A/RES/73/131 | Scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting on universal health coverage |
|
71 |
Health employment and economic growth |
|
|
70 |
Strengthening the management of international health crises |
|
|
69 |
Protection of health workers |
|
|
68 |
Interlinkages between health and all determinants, including social, economic and environmental determinants |
|
|
67 |
Social protection and sustainable financing mechanisms for universal health coverage |
|
|
66 |
Health and the environment |
|
|
65 |
Global health and foreign policy |
|
|
64 |
Control of emerging infectious diseases and foreign policy |
|
|
63 |
Global health and foreign Policy |
|
|
58 |
The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health |