Research
The Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of
health (Aug 2002-July 2008)
In 2002, the UN Commission on Human Rights decided to appoint a Special
Rapporteur on the right to health. Paul Hunt (Department of Law/Human Rights Centre) was appointed to this post
in September 2002. At its sixty first session in 2005 the Commission on Human
Rights decided to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further
period of three years. The Human Rights Council, by its decision 1/102 of 30
June 2006, extended all mandates of the former Commission on Human Rights,
including that of the Special Rapporteur. He is requested by the Human Rights
Council to work in cooperation with States, inter-governmental organisations and
civil society; to report on the status of the right to health around the world;
and to make recommendations on appropriate measures to promote and protect the
right to health.
The Special Rapporteur’s work focuses on two main themes: poverty and the
right to health, and stigma and discrimination and the right to health. Within
these overarching themes, the Special Rapporteur, assisted by other staff at the
Human Rights Centre, as well as the OHCHR, has carried out research into issues
including: the right to health dimensions of HIV/AIDS, maternal mortality,
access to medicines, neglected diseases, mental health, the Millennium
Development Goals, the World Trade Organization, poverty reduction strategies,
indicators, sexual and reproductive health rights, health professionals,
maternal mortality and access to medicines.
The main objectives of the Special Rapporteur are to raise the profile of the
right to health as a fundamental human right; to clarify what the right to
health means; and to identify ways of operationalising the right to health.
In his work, the Special Rapporteur undertakes country missions and other
visits, transmits communications to States with regard to alleged violations of
the human right to health, and submits annual reports on his work to the Human
Rights Council and the General Assembly.
Links to more information about the work of the Special Rapporteur