United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health is appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur is based on Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right. The Special Rapporteur is authorized by the Human Rights Council to:

• Gather, request, receive and exchange information from all relevant sources, including Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, on the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as policies designed to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals;

• Develop a regular initiate dialogue and discuss possible areas of cooperation with all relevant actors, including Governments, relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and programmes, in particular the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, as well as non-governmental organizations and international financial institutions;

• Report on the status, throughout the world, of the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and on developments relating to this right, including on laws, policies and good practices most beneficial to its enjoyment and obstacles encountered domestically and internationally to its implementation;

• Make recommendations on appropriate measures to promote and protect the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, with a view to supporting States’ efforts to enhance public health;

• Submit an annual report to the Human Rights Council and an interim report to the General Assembly on its activities, findings, conclusions and recommendations.