General comment No. 14: The right to the highest attainable



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girls, including early marriage, female genital mutilation, preferential feeding and care 

of male children.

18

 Children with disabilities should be given the opportunity to enjoy 

a fulfilling and decent life and to participate within their community. 

23. 

States parties should provide a safe and supportive environment for 



adolescents, that ensures the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their 

health, to build life skills, to acquire appropriate information, to receive counselling 

and to negotiate the health-behaviour choices they make.  The realization of the right 

to health of adolescents is dependent on the development of youth-friendly health 

care, which respects confidentiality and privacy and includes appropriate sexual and 

reproductive health services. 

24. 

In all policies and programmes aimed at guaranteeing the right to health of 



children and adolescents their best interests shall be a primary consideration. 

Older persons 

25. 


With regard to the realization of the right to health of older persons, the 

Committee, in accordance with paragraphs 34 and 35 of general comment No. 6 

(1995), reaffirms the importance of an integrated approach, combining elements of 

preventive, curative and rehabilitative health treatment.  Such measures should be 

based on periodical check-ups for both sexes; physical as well as psychological 

rehabilitative measures aimed at maintaining the functionality and autonomy of older 

persons; and attention and care for chronically and terminally ill persons, sparing 

them avoidable pain and enabling them to die with dignity. 



Persons with disabilities 

26. 


The Committee reaffirms paragraph 34 of its general comment No. 5, which 

addresses the issue of persons with disabilities in the context of the right to physical 

and mental health.  Moreover, the Committee stresses the need to ensure that not only 

the public health sector but also private providers of health services and facilities 

comply with the principle of non-discrimination in relation to persons with 

disabilities. 



Indigenous peoples 

27. 


In the light of emerging international law and practice and the recent measures 

taken by States in relation to indigenous peoples,

19

 the Committee deems it useful to 



 

18

  See World Health Assembly resolution WHA47.10, 1994, entitled “Maternal and child health and 



family planning:  traditional practices harmful to the health of women and children”. 

19

  Recent emerging international norms relevant to indigenous peoples include the ILO Convention 



No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (1989); articles 29 (c) 

and (d) and 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989); article 8 (j) of the Convention on 

Biological Diversity (1992), recommending that States respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, 

innovation and practices of indigenous communities; Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on 

Environment and Development (1992), in particular chapter 26; and Part I, paragraph 20, of the 

Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (1993), stating that States should take concerted positive 




 

 

 



 

 

                                                                                                                                           



identify elements that would help to define indigenous peoples’ right to health in 

order better to enable States with indigenous peoples to implement the provisions 

contained in article 12 of the Covenant.  The Committee considers that indigenous 

peoples have the right to specific measures to improve their access to health services 

and care.  These health services should be culturally appropriate, taking into account 

traditional preventive care, healing practices and medicines.  States should provide 

resources for indigenous peoples to design, deliver and control such services so that 

they may enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.  The 

vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals necessary to the full enjoyment of health 

of indigenous peoples should also be protected.  The Committee notes that, in 

indigenous communities, the health of the individual is often linked to the health of 

the society as a whole and has a collective dimension.  In this respect, the Committee 

considers that development-related activities that lead to the displacement of 

indigenous peoples against their will from their traditional territories and 

environment, denying them their sources of nutrition and breaking their symbiotic 

relationship with their lands, has a deleterious effect on their health. 



Limitations 

28. 


Issues of public health are sometimes used by States as grounds for limiting 

the exercise of other fundamental rights.  The Committee wishes to emphasize that the 

Covenant’s limitation clause, article 4, is primarily intended to protect the rights of 

individuals rather than to permit the imposition of limitations by States.  Consequently 

a State party which, for example, restricts the movement of, or incarcerates, persons 

with transmissible diseases such as HIV/AIDS, refuses to allow doctors to treat 

persons believed to be opposed to a Government, or fails to provide immunization 

against the community’s major infectious diseases, on grounds such as national 

security or the preservation of public order, has the burden of justifying such serious 

measures in relation to each of the elements identified in article 4.  Such restrictions 

must be in accordance with the law, including international human rights standards, 

compatible with the nature of the rights protected by the Covenant, in the interest of 

legitimate aims pursued, and strictly necessary for the promotion of the general 

welfare in a democratic society. 

29. 

In line with article 5.1, such limitations must be proportional, i.e. the least 



restrictive alternative must be adopted where several types of limitations are available.  

Even where such limitations on grounds of protecting public health are basically 

permitted, they should be of limited duration and subject to review. 

 

steps to ensure respect for all human rights of indigenous people, on the basis of non-discrimination.  



See also the preamble and article 3 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 

(1992); and article 10 (2) (e) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries 

Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (1994).  During recent 

years an increasing number of States have changed their constitutions and introduced legislation 

recognizing specific rights of indigenous peoples. 



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