Protecting the Right to Health in Syria: The Role of the OHCHR and Other UN Agencies

This document is part of a series of notes intended to provide an overview of key economic and social rights, offering guidance to partners on utilizing relevant human rights norms. It also serves as a resource for information about the activities of the OHCHR Syria Office, WHO, the Health Sector/Cluster, and other UN agencies in responding to violations of these rights.

In this note, one of the rights discussed is the right to health under international human rights law (IHRL), with a focus on its application in the context of the armed conflict and crisis in Syria where international humanitarian law (IHL) is also relevant. The document outlines how the OHCHR Syria Office actively supports state policies that promote the realization of the right to health and how the UN contributes to these efforts.

The OHCHR collaborates with various groups such as the Whole of Syria Strategic Steering Group, Humanitarian Country Team, and Humanitarian Liaison Group to address the right to health. Additionally, it provides policy advice on the human rights approach to health to key entities including