back to home

See also the following sections of this website:

• Health issues (including workplace health & safety)
• Health care industry
• AIDS / access to life-saving medicines
• AIDS/HIV discrimination, including in the workplace
• Environment
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Biotechnology companies
• Medical equipment companies
• Baby food & baby milk companies
• Tobacco companies

International standards and guidelines:

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)

The right to the highest attainable standard of health: General comment 14 (Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2000)

• {···español: El derecho al disfrute del más alto nivel posible de salud: CESCR Observación general 14}

• {···français: Le droit au meilleur état de santé susceptible d'être atteint: CESCR Observation générale 14} 

United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development (1986)

United Nations Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1982)

International Council of Nurses - selected guidelines:

• Nurses and Human Rights  

• {···español: Las enfermeras y los derechos humanos}

• {···français: Les infirmières et les droits de l'homme} 

Torture, Death Penalty and Participation by Nurses in Executions  

• {···español: La tortura, la pena de muerte y la participación de la enfermera en las ejecuciones}

• {···français: La torture, la peine capitale et la participation des infirmières aux exécutions} 

World Medical Association - selected guidelines:

• World Medical Association Declaration Concerning Support for Medical Doctors Refusing to Participate in, or to Condone, the Use of Torture or Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment

• World Medical Association International Code of Medical Ethics

• World Medical Association Proposal for a United Nations Rapporteur on the Independence and Integrity of Health Professionals

• World Medical Association Resolution on Human Rights

• World Medical Association Resolution on Physician Participation in Capital Punishment

• World Medical Association Statement on Pollution

Websites:

Amnesty International documents on Medical Issues (Amnesty International)

• {···español: Informes: Profesionales de la salud}

• {···français: Documents sur le secteur médical} 

Amnesty International Health Professionals Network Online

Bioethics and Human Rights Links (University of Minnesota Human Rights Library)

Five Examples of Economic and Social Rights (Center for Economic and Social Rights)

François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights (Harvard School of Public Health)

Health and Human Rights: An International Journal (François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health)

Health and Human Rights Database (Boston University School of Public Health)

Health and Human Rights Links (University of Minnesota Human Rights Library)

Physicians for Human Rights - Israel

Physicians for Human Rights - UK

Physicians for Human Rights - USA

Health as a Human Right (World Health Organization (WHO) / Organisation Mondiale de la Santé [OMS])

• {···français: La sante en tant que droit de l'homme} 

Other materials:

2002:

HUMAN RIGHTS: WHO Launches Publications On Health, Rights - The first in a new series of publications on the linkages between health and human rights was posted on the Internet by the World Health Organization yesterday. The WHO said 25 Questions and Answers on Health and Human Rights is meant for "governments and others concerned in developing a human rights approach to public health work." (UN Wire, 25 July 2002)

• New WHO publication explores important links between health and human rights, an area drawing increased attention - Human rights violations such as discrimination or violence against women and children and harmful traditional practices can have serious health consequences. (World Health Organization, 24 July 2002)

• {···français} Dans une nouvelle publication, l'OMS examine l'importance des liens entre la santé et les droits de l’homme (Organisation mondiale de la Santé, 24 juillet 2002)

• full report: 25 Questions and Answers on Health & Human Rights (World Health Organization, July 2002)

2001:

HIV/AIDS: UN Panel Deems Medication Access A Human Right (UN Wire, 24 Apr. 2001)

UN rights body backs Brazil on Aids drugs (news24 [South Africa], 24 Apr. 2001)

{···português} ONU declara: acesso a remédio é direito humano (Jamil Chade, Estadao.com [Brazil], 23 abril 2001)

Commission on Human Rights adopts six resolutions...[UN Commission on Human Rights adopts resolution recognising that access to medication in the context of pandemics such as HIV/AIDS is a fundamental element for achieving enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health; adopted by vote of 52 in favour, none opposed, one abstention] (United Nations, 23 Apr. 2001)

Health Policies in the Global Economy (Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General, World Health Organization, 10 Feb. 2001)

A Human Rights Approach to TB [tuberculosis]: Stop TB Guidelines for Social Mobilization (World Health Organization/Stop TB Partnership, 1 Feb. 2001)

2000:

Harming the Healers: Violations of the human rights of health professionals (Amnesty International, 21 July 2000)

1999:

Physicians and the Ethic of Human Rights (Leonard S. Rubenstein, Executive Director of Physicians for Human Rights, in Minnesota Medicine, July 1999)

1998:

Director-General sets out WHO stance on health and human rights (World Health Organization, 8 Dec. 1998)

Human Development and Human Rights: Report on the Oslo Symposium, 2-3 Oct. 1998 (UNDP, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

• Health as a Human Right in the Context of Human Development and the Mission of UNDP (Jane G. Schaller)

1994:

Health and Human Rights (J. Mann, L. Gostin, S. Gruskin, T. Brennan, Z. Lazzarini, H. Fineberg, Health and Human Rights, vol. 1, no. 1, fall 1994):

• full article {···english}

• abstract {···english···español···français}

The Right to Health in International Human Rights Law (Virginia Leary, Health and Human Rights, vol. 1, no. 1, fall 1994):

• full article {···english}

• abstract {···english···español···français}

1993:

Economic and Social Rights and the Right to Health: An Interdisciplinary Discussion Held at Harvard Law School in September, 1993 (Harvard Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School, François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights [Harvard School of Public Health], Sep. 1993)