Top

International Journal for Equity in Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Commentary

Global constitutionalism, responsibility to protect, and extra-territorial obligations to realize the right to health: time to overcome the double standard (once again)

Authors: Gorik Ooms, Rachel Hammonds

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2014

Abstract

If human rights are “inalienable rights of all members of the human family”, as is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, then no government should be allowed to deny people of them. When some governments fail to realize them for the people under their jurisdiction, the international community has a responsibility to step in.

This extra-territorial effect of human rights was not included in the original conception of human rights. It is of recent date, and, in practice, limited to interventions to end severe violations of civil and political human rights. For economic, social and cultural human rights, extra-territorial obligations are still contested.

In this paper, we elaborate three contentions: first, that the realization of social human rights requires the acceptance of and compliance with extra-territorial obligations; second, that compliance with extra-territorial obligations would help transform the international assistance paradigm from charity into legal obligation; and third, that for global constitutionalism to succeed in improving the fairness of the international legal order requires acceptance of the indivisibility of human rights.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc A/810 at 71. 1948

Shue H: Basic Rights: Subsistence, Affluence, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Second Edition. 1996, Princeton, Princeton University Press

Cohen JL: Globalization and Sovereignty: Rethinking Legality, Legitimacy, and Constitutionalism. 2012, Cambridge University Press, CambridgeCrossRef

Final Report on the Status of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in National and International Law. Report of the 66th Conference. Buenos Aires, Argentina 14–20 August 1994. 1994, International Law Association, London

Bellamy AJ: The responsibility to protect – five years on. Ethics Int Aff. 2010, 24 (2): 143-169. 10.1111/j.1747-7093.2010.00254.x.CrossRef

Mamdani M: Responsibility to protect or right to punish?. J Int Statebuilding. 2010, 4 (1): 53-67. 10.1080/17502970903541721.CrossRef

Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. ETO Consortium, Heidelberg

Peters A: The merits of global constitutionalism. Indiana J Glob Legal Stud. 2009, 16 (2): 397-411. 10.2979/GLS.2009.16.2.397.CrossRef

Mutua M: Human Rights: A Political & Cultural Critique. 2002, University of Pennsylvania Press, PhiladelphiaCrossRef

10.

Ooms G, Hammonds R, Waris A, Criel B, Van Damme W, Whiteside A: Beyond health aid: would an international equalization scheme for universal health coverage serve the international collective interest?. Glob Health. 2014, 10: 41-10.1186/1744-8603-10-41.CrossRef

11.

Tobin J: The Right to Health in International Law. 2012, Oxford University Press, Oxford – New York

12.

Fürher H: The Story of Official Development Assistance. 1994, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris

13.

Khalfan A: Division of responsibility amongst states. Global Justice, State Duties: the Extraterritorial Scope of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in International Law. Edited by: Langford M, Vandenhole W, Scheinin M, Genugten W. 2013, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

14.

Hunt P: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt. Addendum: Mission to Sweden.

15.

Foster M: Fiscal space and sustainability: towards a solution for the health sector. High-Level Forum for the Health MDGs, Selected papers 2003–2005. 2005, Geneva: WHO, Washington, DC: World Bank, http://www.who.int/hdp/publications/hlf_volume_en.pdf, [http://www.who.int/hdp/publications/hlf_volume_en.pdf]

16.

Marseille E, Hofmann PB, Kahn JG: HIV prevention before HAART in sub-Saharan Africa. Lancet. 2002, 359 (9320): 1851-1856. 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08705-6.PubMedCrossRef

17.

Costello A, Azad K, Barnett S: An alternative strategy to reduce maternal mortality. Lancet. 2006, 368 (9546): 1477-1479. 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69388-4.PubMedCrossRef

18.

Mahbubani K: Can Asians Think? Second Edition. 2002, Times Books International, Singapore – Kuala Lumpur

19.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, G.A. res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316. 1966

20.

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, G.A. Res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 49, U.N. Doc.A/6316. 1966

21.

Cranston M: What are Human Rights?. 1973, Taplinger Publishing Company, New York

22.

Sen A: Development as Freedom. 2000, Anchor Books, New York

23.

Cismas I: The intersection of economic, social, and cultural rights and civil and political rights. Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in International Law. Contemporary Issues and Challenges. Edited by: Riedel E, Giacca G, Golay C. 2014, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 448-472. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199685974.003.0016. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2430369CrossRef

24.

Forsythe DP: Human Rights in International Relations. Second Edition. 2006, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge – New YorkCrossRef

25.

Vincent RJ: Human Rights and International Relations. 1986, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge – New York

26.

Amouzou A, Kozuki N, Gwatkin DR: Where is the gap?: the contribution of disparities within developing countries to global inequalities in under-five mortality. BMC Public Health. 2014, 14: 216-10.1186/1471-2458-14-216.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

27.

Frenk J, Gómez-Dantés O, Moon S: From sovereignty to solidarity: a renewed concept of global health for an era of complex interdependence. Lancet. 2014, 383 (9911): 94-97. 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62561-1.PubMedCrossRef

28.

Ooms G, Brolan C, Eggermont N, Eide A, Flores W, Forman L, Friedman EA, Gebauer T, Gostin LO, Hill PS, Hussain S, McKee M, Mulumba M, Siddiqui F, Sridhar D, Van Leemput L, Waris A, Jahn A: Universal health coverage anchored in the right to health. Bull World Health Organ. 2013, 91 (1): 2-2A. 10.2471/BLT.12.115808.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

Title: Global constitutionalism, responsibility to protect, and extra-territorial obligations to realize the right to health: time to overcome the double standard (once again)
Authors: Gorik Ooms
Rachel Hammonds
Publication date: 01-12-2014
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-014-0068-4

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Global constitutionalism, responsibility to protect, and extra-territorial obligations to realize the right to health: time to overcome the double standard (once again)

Abstract

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2014

Are social security policies for Chinese landless farmers really effective on health in the process of Chinese rapid urbanization? a study on the effect of social security policies for Chinese landless farmers on their health-related quality of life

Cultural barriers to effective communication between Indigenous communities and health care providers in Northern Argentina: an anthropological contribution to Chagas disease prevention and control

Factors associated with unhealthy behaviours and health outcomes: a cross-sectional study among tuscan adolescents (Italy)

Socioeconomic inequalities in HIV/AIDS prevalence in sub-Saharan African countries: evidence from the Demographic Health Surveys

Barriers in access to healthcare services for chronic patients in times of austerity: an empirical approach in Greece

An observational study of socioeconomic and clinical gradients among diabetes patients hospitalized for avoidable causes: evidence of underlying health disparities in China?