UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
47th session
ID with the Special Rapporteur on right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
23 June 2020
Intervention of Portugal
Chairperson,
Portugal aligns itself with the EU statement.
We welcome the Special Rapporteur and congratulate her for her appointment. Madam Mofokeng can count with the support of Portugal throughout the mandate and with our collaboration.
Portugal has the promotion and protection of the right to health as a core priority of our internal and external actions. In order to achieve universal health coverage and to effectively realize the right to health, a human rights approach has to ground all health policies and services. There is no place for discrimination and stigma in health settings.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for outlining her strategic priorities for the mandate and we welcome in particular the plan to apply a life-cycle approach to her work, and the special attention dedicated to groups in vulnerable situations, as well as to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
We strongly encourage the Special Rapporteur to dedicate adequate attention to human rights and mental health. Mental health constitutes half of the mandate and should be dealt in parity with physical health. COVID-19 brought additional mental health-related challenges and put the spot on how much still needs to be done in this area.
Together with a core-group of countries, Portugal will promote a resolution on Human Rights in the context of HIV and AIDS this session. We would also like if the Special Rapporteur could share her views on the main elements at stake in this context, including on the empowerment of key populations, prevention services, and combating stigma.
Thank you.
