With the development community, governments, policymakers, researchers and international organisations hard at work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this report analyses the background of identifying development goals.
Values, Policies and Rights
Brainstorming for the Sustainable Development Goals and beyond
Iqbal S: CODESRIA Newsletter, May 2014
Brazil and Access to HIV/AIDS Drugs: A Question of Human Rights and Public Health
American Journal of Public Health
This article explores the relationship between public health and human rights using as an example the Brazilian policy on free and universal access to antiretroviral medicines for people living with HIV/AIDS. The Brazilian response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which arose from initiatives in both civil society and the governmental sector, followed the process of the democratization of the country. If the Brazilian experience may not be easily transferred to other realities, the model of the Brazilian response may nonetheless serve as an inspiration to finding appropriate and life-saving solutions in other national contexts. (abstract only)
Breaking the Rules 2014: Evidence of Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions compiled from January 2011 to December 2013
International Baby Food Action Network: May 2014
Breaking the Rules 2014 (BTR) is a 237-page monitoring report which describes evidence of 813 Code violations, from 81 countries, collected between Jan 2011 and Dec 2013. The Rules are the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent World Health Assembly resolutions (the Code), which are the yardstick to measure compliance by all companies in all countries. Following the request for clarification of ‘inappropriate promotion’ of foods for infants and young children, BTR: in Brief provides examples of marketing tactics that should not be allowed. The emphasis is on toddler milks or growing up milks (GUMs), a product which has been generating huge profits for the baby food industry over the past decade or more. The inappropriate promotions reported are Code violations. This abridged report is meant to show how the 16 largest baby food companies continue to ignore international recommendations adopted to protect infants and young children the world over so the public and investors can hold them to account.
Brochures on critical analysis of right to health
People\'s Health Association (PHA)
The CETIM (Europe-Third World Centre) has just published the fourth number of its series of didactic brochures and critical analysis about the Right to Health. This brochure is available for free in French, English and Spanish and can be downloaded/printed from the CETIM website.
Buen Vivir: Today's tomorrow
Gudynas E: Development 54(4), 441–447, 2011
Eduardo Gudynas looks at the main trends of the discourse around Buen Vivir in South America as a political platform for different visions of alternatives to development. He notes that any alternative to development must open paths to move beyond the modern Western culture. Buen Vivir, he argues gives that opportunity. Buen Vivir or Vivir Bien, are the Spanish words used in Latin America to describe alternatives to development focused on the good life in a broad sense. The term is actively used by social movements, and it has become a popular term in some government programs and has even reached its way into two new Constitutions in Ecuador and Bolivia. It is a plural concept with two main entry points. On the one hand, it includes critical reactions to classical Western development theory. On the other hand, it refers to alternatives to development emerging from indigenous traditions, and in this sense the concept explores possibilities beyond the modern Eurocentric tradition. The richness of the term is difficult to translate into English. It includes the classical ideas of quality of life, but with the specific idea that well-being is only possible within a community. Furthermore, in most approaches the community concept is understood in an expanded sense, to include nature. Buen Vivir therefore embraces the broad notion of well-being and cohabitation with others and with nature.
Busting four myths about Universal Health Coverage
Samman E: Overseas Development Institute, December 2020
New research sheds light on the experience of almost 50 countries that have attained Universal Health Coverage (UHC) or made strides toward doing so. This research indicates that while there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, there are parallels – and opinions on what aids or prevents UHC are often misinformed. It’s often thought that countries strive for UHC during periods of stability but research shows that most major moves towards UHC are triggered by a change in circumstances that breaks a country’s usual pattern that has prevented healthcare reform. It’s much more difficult to roll out UHC during fragile times – finances are often limited and subject to competing claims. But fragility appears to be a powerful motivation for UHC: disruption weakens powerbases that may oppose UHC and governments use healthcare to build legitimacy. Cost is often cited as a barrier to UHC but the gross national income in low- and middle-income countries where UHC is seen as cost-effective is only $1,524 more than those that think it is not – a 13% difference. Healthcare can be a contentious political issue. Dissatisfaction often remains strong until countries reach universality. But once achieved, UHC is usually robustly accepted across the political spectrum. Moreover, this consensus tends to prevail even in difficult situations. Around eight countries in the sample (15%) appear to have faced threats to their health system – including armed conflict in Ukraine and state fragility in Tanzania. The implications are argued to be clear: all countries have the potential to move towards UHC. The main barriers to UHC roll-out are political.
Call for Action on HIV/AIDS-related Human Rights Abuses against Women and Girls in Africa
This report from Human Rights Watch details cases of abuse of women and girls that increase susceptibility to HIV/AIDS. It reviews regional and national legal regimes and makes recommendations for policy action against manifestations of HIV/AIDS human rights abuses against women and girls. The cases demonstrate that the illness, mortality, abuse, and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS are due, to a large extent, to a long tradition of subordination and violent abuse of women and girls in Africa. It argues that reformed national laws and policies to date have not been effective in counteracting this tradition and abusive practices condoned in customary law have exacerbated the problem.
Call for governments to curb human rights abuses of migrants
December 18: 17 December 2009
Despite the increased efforts of the international community, including civil society, in promoting sound, equitable, humane and lawful conditions of migration, migrants continue being exposed to commoditisation and human rights violations. Building on recommendations by the Committee on Migrant Workers, December 18 strongly recommends that all states implement gender-sensitive legislation that extends the protections of international labour standards to migrant workers. It also calls on Governments to curb abuses of recruitment agencies, enhance legal channels for migration and open up judicial mechanisms to victims of abuse, regardless of their immigration status. The situation of migrant children also remains a particular concern, especially those who are unaccompanied and at risk of being smuggled or trafficked. All migrants are protected by human rights and labour standards, including the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, regardless of immigration status. Migrant children—whether accompanied or not and whatever their migratory status—are equally entitled to all the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. December 18 urges all states to ratify and implement the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2010.
Call for support for the provision of essential medicines in Africa
Lyznik K: The African Commission on Access to Medicines and Human Rights in Africa, September 15 2008
Essential medicines must be physically accessible (available), economically accessible (affordable) and must be administered without discrimination. To help ensure this, the HIV Clinical Group at Pretoria University, in conjunction with PIJIP and WCL clinic students, is working to gather widespread NGO support for a submission before the African Commission during its meeting in Abuja, Nigeria from the 10th to the 24th of November. This submission will call upon the African Commission to adopt an interpretation of the right to health under the African Charter, which mirrors the one provided by General Comment 14 to the ICESCR, specifically recognising that access to medicines is a crucial component to the right to health. Furthermore, upon recognising that the right to health includes the components of accessibility, availability, acceptability, and good quality of medicines, the submission will call upon the African Commission, in the future, to use these standards as a means to uniformly monitor the state’s compliance with the right to health.
Call to Action and Youth Statement
Third African Conference on sexuality health and rights, Abuja, Nigeria, 4-7 February 2008
Participants at the Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights affirm that Sexual Rights are an integral and inalienable part of basic Human Rights. This requires that African states be accountable to their citizens for their sexual health and rights. Participants also called for increased accountability across the African continent at all levels – governments, institutions, civil society, communities, families and individuals.