Health impact assessment: The contribution of the right to the highest attainable standard of health

References 

1. Scott-Samuel A, O'Keefe E. Health impact assessment, human rights and global public policy: a critical appraisal. Bull World Health Organ. 2007;85:212–217
   • MEDLINE
   • CrossRef
2. Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health. UN Doc A/HRC/4/28, 17 January 2007, Para. 39–47.
3. Kinney ED, Clark BA. Provisions for health and health care in the constitutions of the countries of the world. Cornell Int Law J. 2004;37:285
4. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization (1946) states: ‘The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.’
5. Declaration of Alma-Ata, International Conference on Primary Health Care, USSR, 6–12 September 1979, Para. I.
6. As of 26 September 2008, there are 159 state parties to this international human rights treaty.
7. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966, Article 12. This provision provides the full formulation of the right. As a short hand, we use either ‘the right to the highest attainable standard of health’ or ‘the right to health’.
8. This Committee is responsible for monitoring state compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
9. General Comment 14, Para. 9.
10. General Comment 14, Para. 11.
11. For the Special Rapporteur's thematic and country reports, presentations, press releases etc., see the website of the Right to Health Unit at the University of Essex. Available from: http://www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre/rth/.
12. General Comment 14, Para. 8.
13. Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health. UN Doc E/CN.4/2006/48, 3 March 2006, Para. 4.
14. General Comment 14, Para. 30–31.
15. General Comment 14, Para. 32.
16. Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health. UN Doc A/HRC/4/28, 17 January 2007, Para. 25.
17. General Comment 14, Para. 59.
18. General Comment 14, Para. 57–58.
19. For example, Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health. UN Doc No E/CN.4/2006/48, 3 March 2006.
20. Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment 5, Para. 45.
21. Conclusions and recommendations, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, UN Doc E/C.12/1/Add.19, 1997.
22. UN Doc E/CN.4/2003/58, 13 February 2003, Para. 82–85.
23. United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/28, Para. 16.
24. Hunt P, MacNaughton G. Impact assessments, poverty and human rights: a case study using the right to the highest attainable standard of health. UNESCO; 2006;The full report is available on the website of the World Health Organization, Health and Human Rights Working Paper Series, Paper No. 6 http://www.who.int/hhr/Series_6_Impact%20Assessments_Hunt_MacNaughton1.pdf; and at Essex University, Human Rights Centre, Right to Health Unit http://www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre/rth/projects.shtm
25. UNESCO. Abolishing poverty through the international human rights framework: towards an integrated strategy for the social and human sciences. Consultation in Bergen, Norway 5–6 June 2003. Available from: http://www.crop.org/publications/files/report/CROP_UNESCO_consultation_report.pdf.
26. Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Handbook in human rights assessment: state obligations, awareness & empowerment. 2001.
27. Rights and Democracy. Human rights impact assessments for foreign investment projects. 2007.
28. Humanist Committee for Human Rights (now Aim for Human Rights). Health rights of women assessment instrument. 2006.
29. Some human rights assessments focus on assessing the activities of non-governmental actors. See, for example, a recent United Nations study on impact assessments and business. UN Doc A/HRC/4/74.