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Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Reproductive health rights also feature prominently in the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Development Goals, which affirm the rights of women to control all aspects of their health, to respect bodily autonomy and integrity and to decide freely in matters relating to their sexuality and reproduction, free of discrimination, coercion and violence. The Beijing Platform for Action states that States should consider removing punitive measures related to sexual and reproductive health. The relationship between improved sexual and reproductive health for women and poverty reduction is particularly emphasized. Unfortunately, the Millennium Development Goals Report 2010 declared that progress in parts of the world in some indicative areas, such as adolescent pregnancy and contraceptive use, had slowed and that aid for family planning as a proportion of total aid to health had declined sharply between 2000 and 2008.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has strongly disapproved of restrictive abortion laws, especially those that prohibit and criminalize abortion in all circumstances (see CEDAW/C/CH/CO/4, para. 19). It has also confirmed that such legislation does not prevent women from procuring unsafe illegal abortions and has framed restrictive abortion laws as a violation of the rights to life, health and information. The Committee on the Rights of the Child is also concerned about the impact of highly restrictive abortion laws on the right to health of adolescent girls. The Committee against Torture has further stated that punitive abortion laws should be reassessed since they lead to violations of a woman's right to be free from inhuman and cruel treatment. The Human Rights Committee concluded that equality between men and women required equal treatment in the area of health and the elimination of discrimination in the provision of goods and services and addressed the need to review abortion laws to prevent rights violations (see CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.10, paras. 20, 28 and 31). The former Special Rapporteur on the right to health called for removal of punitive measures against women who seek abortions (see E/CN.4/2004/49, para. 30).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Other laws restricting access to family planning and contraception include a city-wide de facto ban on so-called "artificial" contraception in one jurisdiction, which created significant difficulty for women in accessing reliable forms of birth control (see A/HRC/14/20/Add.1). A total of 70 per cent of the affected population, a majority of whom were poor and marginalized, depended on Government providers for services including female sterilization, oral pills, intrauterine devices and injectables (ibid.). The ban resulted in the absolute deprivation of access to family planning services and contraception for many women and men. In other instances, States require women to obtain their husband's consent and adolescents to obtain parental consent before acquiring various forms of contraception. Other jurisdictions allow pharmacists, and in some cases pharmacies, to refuse to dispense emergency contraception, which is otherwise legally available. These laws directly infringe upon the right of women and girls to make free and informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health and reflect discriminatory notions of women's roles in the family and society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- General Comment No. 14 places emphasis on access to information because it is a critical component of the right to health (ibid; footnote 8), and particularly guarantees access to sexual and reproductive health information. States are additionally required to provide adequate resources and refrain "from censoring, withholding or intentionally misrepresenting health-related information, including sexual education and information (see E/C.12/2000/14, para. 14)". The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has recommended that a comprehensive understanding of the content of sexual and reproductive education encompass the topics of reproductive rights, responsible sexual behaviour, sexual and reproductive health, prevention of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, prevention of teenage pregnancies, and family planning, and stressed that education campaigns are urgently needed to combat harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. Comprehensive education and information on sexual and reproductive health is also useful in reducing knowledge gaps between men and women on these issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The fields of global health and human rights have, in recent years, developed accountability analysis and institutions, which can inspire accountability for the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and help to shape new arrangements. In 2011, the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health, established to propose a framework to ensure that commitments made under the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health (2010-2015) were met, proposed a tripartite model of accountability, composed of monitoring, review and remedial action. That model, derived from the human rights understanding of accountability, was subsequently taken up by the Secretary-General, including in the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health 2016-2030, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals related to women's, children's and adolescents' health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 103s
- Paragraph text
- [As a matter of priority, the Special Rapporteur recommends that:] Member States comply with obligations under the right-to-health framework to address violence, using modern public health interventions, especially regarding children and adolescents, and to that end, adopt legal and policy measures to eliminate all forms of violence against children;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- In September 2015, the General Assembly is to adopt a set of sustainable development goals that will replace the Millennium Development Goals as the focus of the international development agenda. At the same time, a new global strategy for women's, children's and adolescents' health is to be launched. The ending of preventable deaths of newborns and children under five is a target of the "zero draft" of the sustainable development goals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Infants
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- Adolescence (10-19 years of age) is a life stage when inequities become more sharply differentiated in terms of access to services, life decisions and future trajectories. Foundations laid down during adolescence, in terms of emotional security, health, education, skills, resilience and the understanding of rights will have profound implications for the social, economic and political development of adolescents. The costs of failing adolescents are high, which is why a powerful case exists for paying greater attention to the right of adolescents to the highest attainable standard of health and development.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- The population of adolescents globally is estimated to be over 1.2 billion, 88 per cent of whom live in developing countries. Adolescents represent 18 per cent of the world's population. Although adolescence is inherently characterized by relatively low mortality compared to other age groups, it is associated with emerging and complex risk factors, resulting in patterns of behaviour that affect long-term morbidity and mortality. Likewise, adolescents are one of the groups that existing health services serve least well.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- It is estimated that 1.3 million adolescents died in 2012 from preventable or treatable causes. Road traffic accidents, suicide and homicide, violence and war, drowning and fire-related incidents account for about 40 per cent of all deaths among youth (people aged between 15 and 24 years). A small percentage of adolescents suffer from life-limiting and sometimes terminal illness, of which a majority are estimated to have no access to palliative care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- Lack of access to safe reproductive health services and information contributes to adolescent girls among the most at risk of dying or suffering from serious or lifelong injuries associated with early pregnancies and childbirth. The lack of effective adolescent mental health policies and services leads to significant failures in emotional and social development, including violence against and among adolescents. Nearly all these risks are preventable, with outcomes grounded in physical and social environments and frequently mediated by their behaviours.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- While there are many health issues of concern during adolescence, in the present report the Special Rapporteur focuses on mental health, substance use and drug control, and the rights to sexual and reproductive health, in view of the particular challenges they pose in balancing adolescents' emerging autonomy with their right to protection. Using the right-to-health framework, the Special Rapporteur underlines the importance of valuing adolescents' strengths and engaging with them as partners in informing and shaping the measures needed to realize the right to health and the optimum development of adolescents.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur recognizes the heterogeneity of adolescence and that definitions vary by country and region. However, to promote consistency and facilitate the measurement of adolescent health, this report adopts the definition of the World Health Organization, which views adolescents as persons between the ages of 10 and 19 years (until the twentieth birthday).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Adolescent health is the result of interactions between early childhood development and the specific biological and social role changes that accompany puberty, shaped by social determinants and by risk and protective factors that affect the uptake of health-related behaviours. While adolescents themselves have the capacity to contribute to their own health and well-being, they can only achieve this goal if States respect and protect their rights and provide them with access to the necessary conditions, services and information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Adolescence is a period of development towards increasing capacity for independent decision-making, moving away from the protective environments associated with earlier childhood. It is accompanied by greater experimentation, risk-taking and impulsivity and by the increased influence of the peer group. These behaviours contribute to building resilience, character and self-confidence and to the exploration and understanding of boundaries, and reflect the gradual adjustment from protection towards autonomy. Accordingly, while adolescents under 18 years of age continue to be entitled to protection from violence, abuse and exploitation, as well as to consideration of their best interests, under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the nature of those protections and their application must reflect the emerging competencies acquired throughout adolescence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The transition towards adulthood is characterized by the changing nature of relationships. Across cultures, adolescents begin to attach far greater significance to and are increasingly influenced by their peer group and less by family and caregivers. Adolescents also begin to explore their sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity. There is considerable diversity in combinations of gender identities, expression and sexual orientation, irrespective of whether such diversity is culturally accepted. It is increasingly clear that sexual orientation and gender identity derive from a complex interplay of biological, genetic and social factors and that individuals have little or no choice in its determination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Supporting adolescents to navigate successfully the challenging path towards healthy emotional, psychosocial, physical and sexual development requires recognition of their rights to information, freedom of expression and association, protection from all forms of violence, safety, bodily integrity and family life, and respect for their dignity and evolving capacities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- States policies towards adolescents are too often characterized by targeted or punitive interventions aimed at addressing problems such as juvenile delinquency and violence, as well as perceived challenges, including substance use and sexual activity; too little attention is typically paid to building positive environments in which adolescents can thrive. Punitive and excessively biomedical interventions ignore the powerful social and economic determinants influencing adolescent behaviour, opportunities and well-being. Stigmatizing, demonizing and discriminating against adolescents by, for example, criminalizing or pathologizing their behaviours and diversities, negatively affects their socially perceived roles, self-esteem, well-being and sense of empowerment. These approaches fail adolescents, their holistic development and their right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- One-size-fits-all policies designed for children or youth often fail to address adolescents, particularly 10-14 year-olds. Lack of awareness or understanding of their unique health needs can render adolescents invisible. Adolescents face multiple barriers to health services, including the following: restrictive laws and policies; unavailability of contraception or safe abortions; inaccessible services owing to lack of information, distance or cost; failure to ensure privacy and confidentiality; parental consent or notification requirements; provision of services in a manner that is disrespectful, hostile, judgemental or lacking sympathy; and discrimination against particular groups of adolescents, including those with disabilities, those living and working on the streets or in the sex trade and those from historically marginalized groups. States have positive human rights obligations to guarantee adolescents' rights and meaningfully engage with them in identifying their needs and priorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Rapid globalization and associated social and cultural changes, reinforced by the digital world, mean that many adolescents inhabit a world very different from that of the adults around them in relation to information, the speed of change, social norms, risks, aspirations and opportunities. While these rapidly changing environments offer important opportunities for adolescents, they can also pose significant challenges to their rights, for example to privacy, informed consent and freedom from exploitation, with significant implications, in particular for their mental health and well-being. Furthermore, the speed of change can inhibit intergenerational understanding, challenging the capacity of parents and other caregivers to provide the guidance necessary to protect and promote adolescents' right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The lack of data disaggregated by age, sex and disability poses one of the biggest challenges to promoting adolescent rights. Without adequate data, States lack evidence to inform health policy, identify gaps and support the allocation of appropriate resources.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Adolescents are actors for social change, and are able to bring dynamism, flexibility, creativity and energy towards the realization of their own and others' rights to health. States should adopt a human rights framework for adolescent health guided by the recognition of their strengths, capacities and contributions, while also addressing the impact of social determinants of health. Respecting and engaging with adolescents and treating them as a resource contributes to building foundations for emotional security, health, education and the skills needed for the full and effective realization of the right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Adolescents have the right to play an increasingly important role in the determination of their own health care. Respect and recognition of their capacities is intrinsic to the enhancement of positive health outcomes. Forging partnerships with adolescents is the key to shaping an environment that enables the realization of their right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- In particular, adolescents' leading role in using and shaping new communications technologies places them in a position to build and utilize networks to promote their right to health, for example through information dissemination, data gathering, health campaign design, health education, peer-to-peer education and counselling and conflict mediation. A number of e-health and web-based interventions and mobile applications can provide information, increase access to care, engage adolescents in treatment and initiate aftercare. These skills and capacities mean that adolescents are uniquely positioned to contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 3, as well as to monitoring and holding Governments to account on the commitments made (General Assembly resolution 70/1).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a comprehensive normative and legally binding framework to address the right to health of adolescents under the age of 18, while other treaties, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, provide a framework relevant for all adolescents, including those aged 18 and 19.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- The right to health of adolescents is closely related to other human rights included in these treaties, such as the rights of the child to healthy development, education, play and recreation, social security and privacy, and to being free from torture, all forms of violence and economic, sexual and other forms of exploitation. The right to health is also inextricably linked to non-discrimination and equality, participation and accountability. Adolescent health and development need to be promoted in the context of a holistic and comprehensive approach to the wider determinants affecting the opportunities, choices and consequent development of adolescents.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The right to health provides a valuable normative framework grounded in a commitment to promote the best interests of adolescents while acknowledging their evolving capacities to take increasing levels of responsibility for their own health care. It also places a legal obligation on States to progressively realize the highest attainable standard of health of adolescents; eliminate discrimination and inequalities that obstruct equitable enjoyment of the right to health; ensure the participation of adolescents in relevant efforts; devote maximum available resources to the right to health of children; develop suitable laws and policies, including a comprehensive national health plan that addresses adolescents' right to health; and ensure accountability, including effective remedies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The private sector is a significant provider of health care in many countries and plays a major role in the development and refinement of drugs and health-related products and technology. States should ensure that benefits accrue to all adolescents.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that health systems, including health-care services, in cooperation with other relevant services, such as social, child protection and education services, are responsive to the right to health of adolescents. They should address the full spectrum of adolescent health and development, including health promotion, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, palliative care, unintentional and intentional injuries, violence, and health-compromising behaviours that may begin during adolescence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Rather than only setting up separate interventions and facilities for adolescents, efforts should be made to ensure that adolescents receive adequate attention in all policies, strategies and programmes that are relevant to them. Health systems should be designed and services should be delivered in a way that respects the right to health and other related rights of adolescents, in accordance with their evolving capacities. This can only be achieved by guaranteeing the right of adolescents to be heard and to contribute to the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph