On Friday, 13 June 2025, a bloc of countries known as the the Core Group (Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Senegal, South Africa and Thailand) circulated a draft resolution on “Access to medicines, vaccines and other health products in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health” in advance of the 59th session (16 June to 9 July 2025) of the Human Rights Council (HRC).
Some key highlights of the zero draft are reproduced below:
PP4 Welcoming the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement during the 78th World Health Assembly, as its principles set out for equitable, sustainable and geographically diversified local production; transfer of technology and cooperation on related know-how for the production of pandemic–related health products; pathogen access and benefit-sharing system and looking forward to a timely conclusion of Member States-led and-driven negotiations for the Agreement’s Annex on Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing. (WHO Pandemic Agreement),
PP5 Taking note of the establishment of a Coalition for Local and Regional Production, Innovation and Equitable Access centred on voluntary cooperation in order to promote access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, and other health technologies for neglected diseases and persons in vulnerable situations (Rio de Janeiro Declaration of the G20 Health Ministers para. 17),
PP6 Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 50/13 of 7 July 2022
41/10 of 11 July 2019and all relevant previous resolutions and decisions on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health adopted by the Council, the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights, including resolutions 41/10 of 11 July 2019, 44/2 of 16 July 2020, 46/14 of 23 March 2021, 49/19 of 1 April 2022 and 49/25, also of 1 April 2022, in which the Council highlighted the need for ensuring equitable, affordable, timely and universal access for all countries to vaccines in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and for promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities in the recovery from the pandemic,
PP11 Extremely concerned that, according to the World Health Organization, worldwide, tuberculosis is the tenth leading cause of death and has probably returned to being the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent;
PP12 Extremely concerned that HIV/AIDS remains one of the world’s most significant public health challenges, particularly in developing countries;
PP13 Recalling General Assembly resolution 73/3 of 10 October 2018, in which the Assembly adopted the Political declaration on the fight against tuberculosis, which called for/committed promoting access to affordable medicines, including generics, for scaling up access to affordable tuberculosis treatment, and noting with concern the rising number of cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,
PP14 Concerned that tropical diseases impose a devastating human, social and economic burden on more than 1 billion people, predominantly in neglected tropical and subtropical areas and among those in the most vulnerable situations;
PP15 Concerned that non-communicable diseases kill 41 million people every year, equivalent to 71 per cent of all deaths globally, mostly in developing countries; and that people living with non-communicable diseases are at a higher risk of severe illness and death due to COVID-19,
PP17 Acknowledging that achieving universal health coverage, as mentioned on SDG 3, implies to focus on improving essential health services and health systems to better than pre-pandemic levels and expanding access to quality health services and through primary health care for all, including for those in vulnerable situations, especially in the Global South (Rio de Janeiro Declaration of the G20 Health Ministers para. 1 adapted),
PP18 Taking note of the Rio de Janeiro Declaration of the G20 Health Ministers that prioritized the discussion of the strengthening of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, focusing on enhancing local and regional production of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and strategic health supplies; digital health; and climate change and health, with health equity as a crosscutting theme (Rio de Janeiro Declaration of the G20 Health Ministers para. 2 adapted),
PP22 Concerned about the lack of data reported by countries under Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.b.3, measuring the proportion of health facilities that have a core set of relevant essential medicines available and affordable on a sustainable basis, which serves as a global metric to measure and monitor progress on access to medicines, and which could be subject to deletion from the Global Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, owing to data coverage of less than 30% of countries (new),
PP23 Acknowledging the need to address gaps in preventing, preparing for, and responding to health emergencies, including in development and distribution of, and unhindered, timely and equitable access to, medical countermeasures such as vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, as well as strengthening health systems and their resilience with a view to achieving UHC (World Health Assembly decision SSA2(5) of 2021 pp3),
PP25 Acknowledging the continued contributions of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including the report submitted to the Council at its fifty-second session pursuant to resolution 49/25 on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines; the convening of expert workshops pursuant to resolution in 2023, 2024 and 2025 on good practices, key challenges and new developments in access to health products and the comprehensive report, including new developments, submitted to the Council at its fifty-ninth session pursuant to resolution 50/13; the submission of the compendium of good practices and the analytical study on key challenges to the Council at its fifty-third and fifty-sixth sessions respectively; the report submitted to the Economic and Social Council in 2023 on challenges arising from the current pharmaceutical innovation system,
PP26 Recalling the report of the High-level Panel on Access to Medicines, convened by the Secretary-General, which made proposals on how to address policy incoherence in public health, trade, the justifiable rights of inventors, and human rights,
PP27 Recalling also General Assembly resolution 79
1/32 of 57 October 201624, in which the Assembly adopted the political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance, wherein Heads of State and Government and other representatives underlined recognize that affordability and equitable access to existing and new antimicrobial medicines, vaccines and diagnostics should be a global priority and should take into account the needs of all countries,
PP28 Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 74/2 of 10 October 2019 and 78/4 of 5 October 2023, in which the Assembly adopted the political declarations of the high-level meetings on universal health coverage, wherein Heads of State and Government and other representatives underlined that affordability of and access to existing and new antimicrobial medicines, vaccines and diagnostics should be addressed through cooperation at the national, regional and global levels
PP31 Welcoming resolution WHA77.17 of 1 June 2024, adopted by the World Health Assembly at its seventy-seventh session, amending the International Health Regulations, including measures to remove barriers to timely and equitable access to health products in the context of public health emergencies (new),
PP37 Welcoming Reaffirming the WHO Road Map for Access to Medicines, Vaccines and other Related Health Products 2019–2023 presented at the seventy-second session of the World Health Assembly, which recognizes that improving equitable access to health products is a multidimensional challenge that requires, inter alia, comprehensive national policies and strategies aligning public health needs with economic and social development objectives, and promoting collaboration with other sectors, partners and stakeholders, and looking forward to further discussions on a possible extension of the Road Map, considering the delays and challenges faced in its implementation,
PP32 Reaffirming also the importance of improving the transparency of markets, costs and supply chains for medicines, vaccines and other health products across the whole value chain,
and taking into consideration resolution WHA72.8 of 28 May 2019, adopted by the World Health Assembly at its seventy-second session
PP36 Seriously concerned also that the supply of health products and technologies is dependent on manufacturing facilities concentrated in few countries and that the lack of adequate infrastructure and logistics expertise to store, distribute and deliver diagnostics, medicines, vaccines and other health products and technologies, particularly in developing countries, among other factors, hampers efforts to achieve diagnosis, treatment and vaccination targets for several diseases, at the right time, safely and efficiently, especially in the context of health emergencies,
PP42 Deeply concerned about the loss of lives and livelihoods and the disruption to economies and societies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and its negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights around the world, particularly for women and girls, and recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical need to prevent and prepare for potential disruptions of the supply chain for essential medicines and other health technologies, including through the strengthening of local production, and therefore welcoming resolution WHA74.6 of 31 May 2021, adopted by the World Health Assembly at its seventy-fourth session, on strengthening local production of medicines and other health technologies to improve access,
PP43 Recalling that the Doha Ministerial Declaration on the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and Public Health confirms that the Agreement does not and should not prevent members of the World Trade Organization from taking measures to protect public health, and that the Declaration, accordingly, while reiterating the commitment to the Agreement, affirms that it can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive of the rights of members of the Organization to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all, and recognizes in this connection the right of members of the Organization to use to the full the provisions of the above-mentioned Agreement, which provide flexibility for this purpose, in accordance with the World Trade Organization ministerial decision of 17 June 2022 on the TRIPS Agreement,
PP44 Acknowledging the entry into force of the protocol amending the TRIPS Agreement, which adapts the rules of the global trading system to the public health needs of people in
poorlow and middle income countries, thus contributing to the realization of the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, particularly regarding poorer populations,
PP45 Welcoming the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, adopted on 24 May 2024, which establishes a mandatory patent application requirement to disclose, among others, the country of origin of the genetic resources and the Indigenous Peoples or local community providing the associated traditional knowledge, to ensure a more equitable sharing of benefits associated with traditional knowledge and practices, including that associated with genetic resources contained in medicinal plants (new),
PP45 Welcoming the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, adopted on 24 May 2024, which establishes a mandatory patent application requirement to disclose, among others, the country of origin of the genetic resources and the Indigenous Peoples or local community providing the associated traditional knowledge, to ensure a more equitable sharing of benefits associated with traditional knowledge and practices, including that associated with genetic resources contained in medicinal plants (new),
P47 Regretting the high number of people still without access to affordable, safe, effective and quality medicines and vaccines, and underscoring that improving such access could save millions of lives every year, and noting with deep concern that, globally, 2 billion people have no access to the medicines they need, while recognizing that the lack of access to medicines, vaccines and other health products, as well as access to immunization as a global public good, is a challenge that affects people not only in developing countries but also in developed countries, even though the disease burden is disproportionately high in developing countries,
PP48 Concerned at the lack of access to quality, safe, effective and affordable medicines for children in appropriate dosage forms, and at problems in the rational use of children’s medicines in many countries, and that, globally, children aged under 5 years still do not have secure access to medicines for the treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including rare diseases,
PP49 Concerned also that 14.5 million children globally missed out on any vaccination, and that immunization levels have not recovered to levels recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,
PP50 Concerned
alsofurther that the increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases constitutes a heavy burden on societies, with serious health, social and economic consequences, which represent a leading threat to human health and development, and recognizing the urgent need to improve accessibility to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines and technologies to diagnose, treat and control non-communicable diseases, to strengthen viable financing options and to promote the use of affordable medicines, including generics, as well as improved access to preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative services, particularly at the community level,
PP51 Recognizing the need to appropriately address challenges, gaps, market failures and opportunities regarding the research and development of health technologies, availability and affordability to treat, inter alia, rare and neglected diseases, as well as infectious diseases, and to respond to the growth of emerging challenges, such as antimicrobial resistance and pathogens with pandemic potential, among others, with a view to adequately addressing public health needs and protecting, respecting and fulfilling human rights, and taking into account the necessity to promote frameworks that meet public health needs, while adequately rewarding innovation,
PP52 Considering the report by the Director-General of the World Health Organization on cancer medicines, which, pursuant to resolution WHA70.12 of 31 May 2017, examined the impact of pricing approaches, including transparency, on the availability and affordability of medicines for the prevention and treatment of cancer, and a possible update of the study,
which could shed light in rising prices of medicines in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PP53 Recognizing with appreciation the introduction of new pharmaceutical products made possible through investment in innovation for cancer treatment in recent years, while noting with great concern the increasing cost to health systems and patients, and emphasizing the importance of addressing barriers in access to safe, quality, effective and affordable medicines, medical products and appropriate technology for cancer prevention, detection, screening diagnosis and treatment, including surgery,
PP54 Expressing deep concern at outbreaks of highly infectious pathogens with pandemic potential, which demonstrate the potential vulnerability of populations to them, and in this context reaffirming and underscoring the importance of research into and the development of new and innovative medicines, vaccines and other health products, and of ensuring access to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines and all other health products to all, including new and innovative medicines, as well as the importance of access to immunization as a global public good, and of building and/or strengthening health system capacities, including primary health care, for preventing, preparing for, detecting and responding in a timely manner to outbreaks, epidemics, pandemics and other health emergencies,
PP55 Expressing deep concern also at the particular challenges to access to medicines, vaccines and other health products in situations of conflict, including situations of foreign occupation, and condemning the increase of attacks targeting medical facilities and personnel, reiterating Security Council resolution 2286 of 2016 (new),
PP56 Realizing that, during the time of global pandemics and other health emergencies, the fulfilment of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health should be guided by a strong spirit of solidarity, in particular solidarity with the poorest and with people in vulnerable situations,
PP57 Recognizing the critical role of whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches at national and community levels, through broad social participation, and further recognizing the value and diversity of the culture and traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities, including traditional medicine, in strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and health systems recovery, (Pandemic Agreement),
1. Recognizes that timely, equitable and unhindered access to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics and other health products and technologies is one of the fundamental elements for the full realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the correspondent objectives of universal health coverage and health for all, without discrimination, with special attention to reaching those furthest behind first;
2. Stresses the responsibility of States to ensure timely, equitable and unhindered access for all, without discrimination, to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, and other health products and technologies, as well as access to immunization as a global public good;
3. Calls upon States to promote timely, equitable and unhindered access to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, and other health products and technologies, for all, including through the full use of the provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), which provide flexibility for that purpose, while recognizing that the protection of intellectual property is important for the development of new and innovative medicines and vaccines, and the concerns about its effects on prices and public health;
4. Also calls upon States to take steps to implement policies and plans to promote access to comprehensive and cost-effective prevention, treatment and care for the integrated management of non-communicable diseases, including, inter alia, increased access to affordable, safe, effective and quality medicines, vaccines and diagnostics and other health products, including through the full use of TRIPS Agreement provisions and flexibilities;
5. Reiterates the call upon States to continue to collaborate, as appropriate, on models and approaches that support the delinkage of the cost of new research and development from the prices of medicines, vaccines and diagnostics for diseases that predominantly affect developing countries, including emerging and neglected tropical diseases, so as to ensure their sustained accessibility, affordability and availability and to ensure access to treatment for all those in need;
6. Urges States and all relevant stakeholders, in order to ensure timely, equitable and unhindered access for all persons to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, and other health products and technologies with a view to advancing the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals:
(a) To promote research and capacity-building initiatives, and to enhance international cooperation on and access to science, innovation, technologies, technical assistance and knowledge-sharing, including by pooling initiatives, while appreciating the substantive efforts many States have already made to this end;
(b) To take all measures necessary to strengthen regional and local production, by promoting innovative modalities of global partnerships and technology transfers,
on mutually agreed terms, and to facilitate trade in medicines, vaccines and other health products;(c) To share data and results in accordance with internationally agreed principles, including sharing of pathogens, samples and genetic sequencing data, and ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that arise from their utilization, in accordance with international access and benefit-sharing instruments;
(d) To promote the transfer of technology and know-how
on mutually agreed terms, and to encourage research, innovation and commitment, where possible, to voluntary licensing in all agreements in which public funding has been invested in research and development;(e) To assist in efforts to build capacity through training and financial support for developing countries to produce health technologies, including mRNA vaccine technology;
(f) To explore ways to promote equitable access and fair distribution of health products, including the possible establishment of a global end-to-end platform;
7. Calls upon the international community to continue to assist developing countries in promoting the full realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including through access to medicines, in particular essential medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, assistive technologies and other health products that are affordable, safe, effective and of quality, and through financial and technical support, training of personnel and other capacity-building measures, while recognizing that the primary responsibility for respecting, protecting and fulfilling all human rights rests with States, while recognizing also the fundamental importance of the transfer of environmentally sound technologies on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms,
as mutually agreed;
8. Recognizes the innovative funding mechanisms and arrangements that contribute to the availability of vaccines and medicines in developing countries, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Gavi Alliance, Unitaid, the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator initiative and the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), especially for those living in poverty, children and other persons in vulnerable situations, and calls upon all States, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, in particular the World Health Organization, and relevant intergovernmental organizations, within their respective mandates, and encourages relevant stakeholders, including companies involved in the research and development, manufacture, importing, distribution and supply of pharmaceuticals, while safeguarding public health from undue influence by any form of real, perceived or potential conflict of interest, to further collaborate to enable equitable access to quality, safe and effective medicines and vaccines that are affordable to all, including those living in poverty, children and other persons in vulnerable situations
9. Encourages engagement among Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic and research institutions, philanthropic foundations and the private sector and greater policy coherence and coordinated actions through whole-of-government, whole-of-society and Health in All Policies approaches to find solutions to health challenges, such as the need for public health-driven research and development, improved existing and alternative frameworks to adequately reward innovation, pricing and affordability of health products, and leveraging innovative technologies, including digital technologies, and solutions for health;
10. Encourages States, in cooperation with other stakeholders, to redouble efforts to achieve a continuous supply of quality, safe, effective and affordable health products through research and development that meets public health needs, for the efficient application and management of intellectual property standards, to carry out evidence-based selection of health products and to seek fair and affordable pricing, to adopt good procurement and supply chain management and to promote appropriate prescribing, dispensing and rational use of health products;
12. Urges all States, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and relevant intergovernmental organizations, especially the World Health Organization, within their respective mandates, and encourages non-governmental organizations and relevant stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, to promote innovative research and development to address health needs in developing countries, including access to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines, in particular with regard to diseases disproportionately affecting developing countries, and the challenges arising from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, while taking into account the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property of the World Health Organization;
13. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to further enhance its work, within its mandate, in the field of the human rights dimension of access to medicines and vaccines, in the context of the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
16. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to enhance its work, within its mandate, including with support for dedicated capacity to continue to carry out research, to organize three expert workshops, to provide technical assistance to States throughout the next three years on the human rights dimension of access to medicines and vaccines in the context of the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including with regard to access barriers for vulnerable segments of the population, and for Global South
low- and middle incomecountries,good practices, key challengesand models, mechanisms and arrangements of international and regional cooperationnew developments, and to present to the Human Rights Council an analytical study of protection gaps of vulnerableand marginalizedsegments of the populationa compendium of good practicesat itsfiftysixty-secondthirdsession and an analytical study on key challenges an analytical study of access barriers for low- and middle income countries at itsfiftysixty–sixthfifth session, with a view to presenting a comprehensive report, including the necessary measures to bridge protection gaps to ensure the accessibility and availability ofvaccinesmedicines, vaccinesand medicinesand other health productsnew developments, at itsfiftysixty-nintheighth session, and to prepare these submissions in an accessible and easy-to-read format.
17. Also requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
when preparing the above-mentioned report,to seek input from experts from diverse geographic regions, including from States and local governments, relevant intergovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies, funds and programs, relevant special procedures, the treaty bodies, national human rights institutions and civil society representatives, including relevant non-governmental organizations in the preparation of the above-mentioned studies and report (new),