September 17, 2007
For Immediate Release
Media Advisory
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law, in partnership with the Faculty's Health Equity and Law Clinic, the Comparative Program on Health and Society of the Munk Centre for International Studies and the Faculty of Pharmacy, are hosting a press conference with Professor Paul Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health on Wednesday September 19, 2007, 11:30 am - 12:15 pm. A public lecture will follow at 12:30 - 2.00 pm.
Hunt will be publicly unveiling his draft Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies on Access to Medicines. The Guidelines are intended to assist pharmaceutical companies better understand and discharge their human rights responsibilities in relation to access to medicines. "The guidelines are an important starting point to identify and map human rights obligations, and facilitate the participation of pharmaceutical companies in increasing access to medicines in developing countries," says Joanna Erdman, Director of the Faculty of Law's Health Equity and Law Clinic. "These guidelines will encourage companies to view their conduct as governed by human rights principles and to ensure more effective exporting and production of drugs for poor countries."
The draft guidelines are the product of a consultative process with representatives of pharmaceutical companies, civil society and government. Hunt will be leading an expert consultation at the University of Toronto to obtain feedback on the draft guidelines and the beginning of a worldwide consultative process. The guidelines will be open for public comment until 2008 when a final version will be presented to the United Nations.
WHO: Paul Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health (For a brief biography of Paul Hunt and background information please see attached)
WHAT: Press Conference: Release of Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies
WHEN: Wednesday September 19, 2007, 11:30 am - 12:15 pm
A Public Lecture will follow immediately afterwards: 12:30 pm - 2 pm
WHERE: U of T Faculty of Law, 78 Queen's Park, Faculty Lounge (lecture to follow in the Rosalie Silberman Abella Moot Court Room)
For more information, please contact:
Jane Kidner, Assistant Dean, External Relations
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
78 Queen's Park, Toronto
(416) 978-6702
j.kidner@utoronto.ca
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Background Information
Professor Paul Hunt
In 1998, Paul Hunt - a national of New Zealand - was elected by the UN to serve as an independent expert on the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1999-2002). Between 2001-2, at the request of Mary Robinson, then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, he co-authored draft Guidelines on Human Rights Approaches to Poverty Reduction. In 2002, he was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health -- the first appointment to this new human rights mechanism. As Special Rapporteur, he endeavours to help States, and other actors, better promote and protect the right to health. In his work, he has chosen to focus in particular on poverty, discrimination and the right to health. An independent expert, he undertakes country missions and reports to the UN General Assembly and UN Commission on Human Rights (now the UN Human Rights Council). Paul has lived, and undertaken human rights work, in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Pacific. He has written extensively on economic, social and cultural rights, including Reclaiming Social Rights: International and Comparative Perspectives (1996), Culture, Rights and Cultural Rights: Perspectives from the South Pacific (co-ed. with Margaret Wilson, 2000), and World Bank, IMF and Human Rights (co-ed., 2003). He is a Professor in law, and member of the Human Rights Centre, at the University of Essex (England) and Adjunct Professor at the University of Waikato (New Zealand).
U of T Faculty of Law Health Equity and Law Clinic
The Health Equity and Law Clinic, run by Director, Joanna Erdman, is a Clinical Legal Education Course at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. The Clinic focuses on the development and application of legal frameworks to identify and redress inequity in reproductive and sexual health laws, policies and practices in domestic, regional and international contexts. The Clinic does not provide legal representation or advice. Law students collaborate with government, non-governmental organizations and other civil society actors to contribute research, analysis and advocacy support for projects related to the promotion and protection of reproductive and sexual health.
Joanna Erdman
Joanna N. Erdman BA (Toronto) 2001, JD (Toronto) 2004, LLM (Harvard) 2006, is a Co-Director of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme and the Director of the Health Equity and Law Clinic at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. She is a published author in the areas of access to reproductive health care, Canadian health care policy and human rights law. Her research focuses on sex and gender discrimination in the regulation, structure, and financing of health care systems. Joanna has also guest lectured at the Joint Centre for Bioethics (University of Toronto) and Osgoode Hall Law School.
