A legal resource to advocate for policy change

What is the Right to Health Policy Hub?

Right to Health Policy Hub is a repository of human rights documents from international human rights treaty bodies and UN mechanisms that support the advancement of public health policies related to food & nutrition and tobacco control. Human rights are essential to advocate for effective policy change, and Right to Health Policy Hub aims to support organizations, movements, and advocates around the world in doing so. 

This resource highlights the growing connections between these health policies and human rights obligations, as presented by official documents issued by human rights bodies.


The Right to Health Policy Hub is a joint effort of the
Campaign for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Global Health Advocacy Incubator

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK)

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) is the leading advocacy organization working to reduce tobacco use and its deadly consequences in the United States and around the world.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK)

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supports civil society organizations who advocate for public health policies that reduce death and disease.

297 Documents

analyzed and extracted specific recommendations from documents issued by official human rights monitoring bodies.

59 Countries

search documents by jurisdiction to find relevant resources by countries around the globe.

168 Filters

make targeted searches with our advanced filters to find relevant policy information.
Last updated on September 2023
Human rights documents issued by international human rights treaty bodies, and United Nations Special Rapporteurs on the rights to health, adequate food and nutrition, and cultural rights dated from 2005 onwards.

General Recommendations

Globally relevant, and contain official interpretations of the treaty provisions, thematic areas, government obligations, specific rights and other issues. These have authoritative status and provide valuable guidance on harmonizing public health policies with human rights standards.

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Country Recommendations

These recommendations are issued by treaty bodies following a state reporting cycle. Under the international human rights treaties, State Parties are obligated to submit initial and periodic reports every two to five years.

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Special Reports

These documents are issued by these UN Special Procedure on particular issues under their mandate. They have global relevancy and play a key role in standard setting, influencing the interpretation of international human rights law.

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Download Fact Sheets

These Fact Sheets discus the intersection of human rights and tobacco control, highlighting the WHO FCTC's connections with human rights obligations. They stress the tobacco epidemic's health impacts, advocating for policies like tobacco marketing bans and taxation to combat tobacco use, and emphasize the importance of integrating human rights frameworks in these efforts.

2023 - Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Recommendation for Cambodia, par. 41 (2023) - 2348

https://righttohealthpolicyhub.org/database/committee-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-recommendation-for-cambodia-par-41-2023

Food policy Cambodia CESCR Fiscal measures Nutritional surveillance Education and information Food and nutrition security Trade and investment

41. The Committee recommends that the State party redouble its efforts to protect the right to adequate food and make an assessment of the implementation of its Second National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition 2019–2023, in order to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition in an effective and comprehensive manner, including by establishing programmes to increase the level of minimum...

Text of the recommendation

41. The Committee recommends that the State party redouble its efforts to protect the right to adequate food and make an assessment of the implementation of its Second National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition 2019–2023, in order to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition in an effective and comprehensive manner, including by establishing programmes to increase the level of minimum income support, promote healthier diets, incorporate trade, land management, education and fiscal policy elements, set clear, time-bound targets and establish appropriate mechanisms for assessing the progress made.

Citation

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Cambodia, E/C.12/KHM/CO/2 (2023). Par. 41. Available at: 2BYe62Ss7WypmsG01gopbAbYW6kF7OpSpHEjxFdG5jreehCXS9QjQsdIKpGnNXsi4HlA67pqsTmLZW

2022 - Committee on the Rights of the Child, Recommendation for Cambodia, par. 38 (c) and (d) (2022) - 2351

https://righttohealthpolicyhub.org/database/committee-on-the-rights-of-the-child-recommendation-for-cambodia-par-38-c-and-d-2022

Tobacco control Cambodia CRC Education and information Tobacco use

38. The Committee is concerned about rising child pregnancy rates, the focus of education on abstinence to prevent child pregnancies and the prevalence of substance abuse among adolescents. Recalling its general comment No. 20 (2016) on the implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence, and taking note of targets 3.7 and 5.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the...

Text of the recommendation

38. The Committee is concerned about rising child pregnancy rates, the focus of education on abstinence to prevent child pregnancies and the prevalence of substance abuse among adolescents. Recalling its general comment No. 20 (2016) on the implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence, and taking note of targets 3.7 and 5.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee reiterates its previous recommendations and urges the State party to: (...)

(c) Expeditiously adopt the draft law on alcohol in order to establish a minimum age for alcohol consumption, and adopt legislative measures to prohibit the sale of tobacco and drugs.

(d) Provide children with accurate and objective information on preventing substance abuse, including of tobacco and alcohol, and develop accessible and child-friendly drug dependence treatment and harm reduction services for adolescents.

Citation

2022 - Committee on the Rights of the Child, Recommendation for Germany par. 31 (d) (2022) - 2306

https://righttohealthpolicyhub.org/database/committee-on-the-rights-of-the-child-recommendation-for-germany-par-31-d-2022

Tobacco control Germany CRC Tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) Tobacco use

31. The Committee recommends that the State party... (d) Regulate the marketing of tobacco to children and continue to strengthen measures to provide adolescents with information on preventing substance abuse, including of tobacco and alcohol, and to ensure the early identification and adequate referral of adolescents requiring treatment for substance abuse;...

Text of the recommendation

31. The Committee recommends that the State party... (d) Regulate the marketing of tobacco to children and continue to strengthen measures to provide adolescents with information on preventing substance abuse, including of tobacco and alcohol, and to ensure the early identification and adequate referral of adolescents requiring treatment for substance abuse;

Citation

Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Germany, CRC/C/DEU/CO/5-6 (2022). Par. 31 (d). Available at: https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2FPPRiCAqhKb7yhsrVrBGd0Fukf%2FAkab12UC%2FYuMqo8od8mZT%2BO7YXVfBcM1IWvAZe5Nku1OEq%2F10EP9oX9AzMDb62JlkG7hV6y9tXtDsSrArjRUgMguQdW161B