Global health and foreign policy: an inclusive
approach to strengthening health systems
A/RES/74/20
Reaffirming further the strong commitments made through the political
declarations adopted at the high-level meetings of the General Assembly on universal
health coverage, on ending AIDS, on tackling antimicrobial resistance, on ending
tuberculosis and on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, as well
as the resolutions of the Assembly on consolidating gains and accelerating efforts to
control and eliminate malaria in developing countries, particularly in Africa, by 2030,
Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2 the International Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 3 the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 4 the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, 5 the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 6 the
Constitution of the World Health Organization 7 and relevant provisions of
international humanitarian law,
Noting the significant role of the Foreign Policy and Global Health Initiative in
promoting synergies between foreign policy and global health, as well as the
contribution of the Oslo Ministerial Declaration of 20 March 2007, entitled “Global
health: a pressing foreign policy issue of our time”, 8 which was reaffirmed, with
renewed actions and commitments, in the ministerial communiqué of the Initiative,
entitled “Renewing 10 years of concerted efforts and preparing for new challenges”,
of 22 September 2017, 9
Reaffirming that health is a precondition for and an outcome and indicator of the
social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that, despite
progress made, challenges in global health still remain, with special regard to
inequities and inequalities within and among countries, regions and populations, and
that investments in health contribute to sustainable, inclusi ve economic growth, social
development, environmental protection, eradication of poverty, hunger and
malnutrition, achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls
and reducing inequalities, and acknowledging the reciprocal benefits bet ween the
attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3 and the achievement of all other Goals,
Reaffirming also the right of every human being, without distinction of any kind,
to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental heal th and
to a standard of living adequate for the health and well -being of oneself and one’s
family, including adequate food, safe drinking water, clothing and housing, and to the
continuous improvement of living conditions, with particular attention to the alarming
situation of millions of people for whom access to health-care services and medicines
remains a distant goal, in particular those who are vulnerable or in vulnerable
situations,
Recognizing that all human rights are important for a transparent, responsible,
accountable, open and participatory health system governance responsive to the needs
and aspiration of persons to realize the right to the highest attainable standard of
physical and mental health,
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2/12
Resolution 217 A (III).
See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 660, No. 9464.
Ibid., vol. 1249, No. 20378.
Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Ibid., vol. 2515, No. 44910.
Ibid., vol. 14, No. 221.
A/63/591, annex.
A/72/559, annex.
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