A/HRC/RES/27/14
safe and adequate food and nutrition, and that mortality remains highest among children
belonging to the poorest and most marginalized communities,
Recognizing that a human rights-based approach to reduce and eliminate preventable
child mortality and morbidity is an approach underpinned by the principles of, inter alia,
equality and non-discrimination, participation, sustainability, transparency, the best
interests of the child, international cooperation and accountability,
Reaffirming that States should take all appropriate measures to ensure the right of
the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
without discrimination of any kind and, in doing so, be guided by the best interests of the
child, ensuring the meaningful participation of children, consistent with their evolving
capacities, in all matters and decisions affecting their lives, bearing in mind the rights,
duties and responsibilities of parents or caregivers in relation to preventing mortality and
morbidity of children under 5 years of age, and take steps to ensure the allocation of
available resources to the maximum extent possible to achieve the full realization of the
right of the child to the highest attainable standard of health, including by strengthening
international cooperation in this field,
Reaffirming also the commitments made by States to make every effort to accelerate
the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including Millennium
Development Goal 4, to reduce by two thirds the under-5 mortality rate by 2015, Goal 5, to
improve maternal health, and Goal 6, to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and
the need to take into account preventable mortality and morbidity of children under 5 years
of age in the post-2015 development agenda,
Acknowledging the work done by the United Nations and its specialized agencies,
programmes and funds in relation to the reduction and elimination of preventable mortality
and morbidity of children under 5 years of age, and in that regard welcoming the Global
Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health launched by the Secretary-General, and the
related establishment of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s
and Children’s Health and the Independent Expert Review Group on Information and
Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, the action plan “Every Newborn: an
action plan to end preventable deaths” endorsed by the World Health Assembly, and the
analytical study by the World Health Organization entitled “Women’s and Children’s
Health: Evidence of Impact of Human Rights”,
1.
Welcomes the technical guidance on the application of a human rights-based
approach to the implementation of policies and programmes to reduce and eliminate
preventable mortality and morbidity of children under 5 years of age;2
2.
Urges States to disseminate the technical guidance and to apply it, as
appropriate, in the design, implementation, evaluation and monitoring of laws, policies,
programmes, budgets and mechanisms for remedy and redress, aimed at eliminating
preventable mortality and morbidity of children under 5 years of age;
3.
Calls upon States to adopt a human rights-based approach to reduce and
eliminate preventable mortality and morbidity of children under 5 years of age, including in
scaling up efforts to achieve the integrated management of quality maternal, newborn and
child health care and services, particularly at the community and family levels, and to take
action to address the main causes of preventable mortality and morbidity of children under
5 years of age;
2
2
A/HRC/27/31.