The Role of the Special Rapporteur

The former Commission on Human Rights established the mandate on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health (“right to the highest attainable standard of health”) in 2002, by its resolution 2002/31. By its resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, the General Assembly concluded the work of the Commission of Human Rights and created the Human Rights Council, which renewed the mandate in December 2007 by its resolution 6/29.
The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed to monitor, examine and report on either a particular human rights issue or the human rights situation in a particular country or territory .

What the Special Rapporteur Can Do:

The mandate is set out in Commission resolutions 2002/31 and 2004/27 and requests the Special Rapporteur to:

a) gather, request, receive and exchange information related to the right to health from all relevant sources, including Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations;

b) develop a regular 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 Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, as well as non-governmental organizations and international financial institutions;

c) report on the status, throughout the world, of the right to health, including on laws, policies, good practices and obstacles; and

d) make recommendations on appropriate measures to promote and protect the realization of the right to health, with a view to supporting States' efforts to enhance public health.

The Special Rapporteur is also requested to apply a gender perspective in his work, pay particular attention to the needs of children in the realization of the right to health and take into account the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference against Racism in 2001.