RES/8/13 Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members

Human Rights Council

Resolution 8/13. Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members

The Human Rights Council,

Recalling the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including

Article 1 that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and that they

are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of

brotherhood,

Recalling also the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social

and Cultural Rights, including article 12,

Taking note of the work of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to

enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,

Noting the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to enjoy the

highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (A/58/427), in which he

reported that persons affected by leprosy and their family members often suffer stigma

and discrimination born of ignorance and prejudice,

Recognizing that more than 16 million people affected by leprosy have been cured

worldwide since the 1980s and that leprosy as a disease has been scientifically and

medically proven to be curable and manageable,

Recognizing also that tens of millions of people and their family members still

suffer from leprosy not only as a disease but also from political, legal, economic or social

discrimination and ostracization due to society’s lack of knowledge and misguided

notions, such as leprosy being incurable or hereditary, and that the issue of leprosy is not

only a matter of medicine or health but also one of discrimination that can give rise to a

clear violation of human rights,

Taking note of the previous work done by the Commission on Human Rights and

its mechanism on discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family

members,

Encouraging States to share best practices on combating discrimination against

persons affected by leprosy and their family members and also on their efforts to

achieve full recovery from and manage this disease,

1. Affirms that persons affected by leprosy and their family members should be

treated as individuals with dignity and are entitled to all basic human rights and

fundamental freedoms under customary international law, relevant conventions and

national constitutions and laws;

2. Calls upon Governments to take effective measures to eliminate any type of

discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, including

awareness-raising;

3. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights to include the issue of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their

family members as an important matter in its human rights education and awareness-

raising activities;

4. Also requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights to collect information on the measures that Governments have taken to

eliminate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members,

and, if extra-budgetary funding is available, to hold a meeting to exchange views among

relevant actors, including Governments, observers of the United Nations, relevant United

Nations bodies, specialized agencies and programmes, non-governmental organizations,

scientists, medical experts as well as representatives of persons affected by leprosy and

their family members, and to transmit a report to the Council and the Human Rights

Council Advisory Committee;

5. Requests the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee to examine the

report referred to in paragraph 4 above, and formulate a draft set of principles and

guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and

their family members, and to submit it to the Council for its consideration by September

2009;

6. Decides to consider this issue based on these reports submitted to the

Council in September 2009.

28th meeting 18 June 2008

[Adopted without a vote.]

-----