PHA-Exchange> Re: WHO's Bangkok Charter a big disappointment, says PHM! (Press Release : 18 August 2005)

[Kumanan Rasanathan]

Dear friends
 
Now that the press release on the Bangkok Charter is out, perhaps we
might consider strengthening the draft Cuenca Declaration with some of
the strategies we advocated for the Charter. There is some reference to
trade and the WTO in the draft Declaration, but it is not as concrete as
what we have advocated for the Bangkok Charter - I have quoted the
relevant sections from the press release (most of which were originally
in the submission also) below.
 
Kind regards
 
Kumanan
 
 
While the Bangkok Charter echoes previous declarations that health is a
human right, it has not grasped the opportunity to call for human and
health rights to take precedence over the provisions of economic policy
and trade and financial agreements. This Charter does not even call for
the routine implementation of equity-focused health impact assessments
of trade agreements - an omission that is grave and an issue that WHO
must not be allowed to ignore. 
 
There are many concrete strategies that the global public health
community should be advocating, but which are neglected in this
Charter. These include:
*      Further cancellations of unsustainable and unjustified debt
*      The end of economic conditionalities on debt cancellation,
development assistance or loans/grants from international financial
institutions and other development banks
*      The democratic reform of the International Monetary Fund and
World Bank
*      The establishment of a fair international tax regime to eradicate
unacceptable transnational tax avoidance 
*      Promotion of appropriate global redistribution and the public
financing for essential services to all citizens
*      The renegotiation or even scrapping of multilateral and bilateral
trade agreements that have negative impact on public health
*      The adoption of an agenda to repair and develop the capacity of
public sector health systems in all countries particularly developing
nations
*      Ratification of the United Nations Convention on Corruption to
reduce the negative health effects of bribery and other forms of illegal
and unethical practices involving multinational corporations and
governments.
 
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