March 24, 2013
The Committee on the Rights of the Child has published a General Comment (No. 15) on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health (Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child). The General Comment was adopted during the Committee’s 62nd session in March 2013.
Practical guidance
General Comments provide guidelines for States Parties on the interpretation of specific aspects of the human rights treaty of concern to the particular committee. They clarify the content of the rights specified in the treaty in more detail, may outline potential violations of those rights and offer practical guidance to states parties on how best to comply with their obligations under the treaty.
In the past, the CRC Committee – the UN body responsable for the monitoring of the Convention on the Right of the Child – published General Comments on for example the right of the child to be heard and its right to be free from all forms of violence.
Comment No. 15 will clarify:
- the normative content of the right of the child and adolescent to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, and to health-care services
- the legally binding obligations of states with respect to ensuring the full realisation of the child’s right to health.
Download General Comment No. 15 (PDF)