An interesting piece from Ron Labonte, originally posted to the SDOH list....

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Social Determinants of Health [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
> Dennis Raphael
> Sent: July 7, 2005 7:13 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [SDOH] PHA-Exchange> Re: Bangkok Charter - Action Needed!
> 
> 
> From Ron Labonte...
> -----------------------------------------
> Hello all.  David forwarded this exchange to me.
> 
> I'm a little less incensed about the Bangkok Charter than others might be.
> Perhaps that's because I have grown cynical of such Charters and do not
> believe they accomplish much. Human rights covenants could offer much more,
> and even there they require mobilization and civil society agitation to be
> useful tools for social change.  So I would first question whether
> word-smithing the Bangkok Charter is an important political activity.
> 
> I'm also not sanguine about actually changing the tone of the document very
> much at this late time, which factors into my comments above.
> 
> However, that does not preclude the PHM from going on record with a
> statement about what the Charter should actually contain.
> 
> For me, the issue is less about whether or not globalization is good/bad or
> should be made healthier/unhealthier.  Treating the concept neutrally is
> not
> a bad strategy if one then wants to critique certain elements of it more
> harshly.
> 
> So, for the critique:
> 
> Under the section, 'Health promotion in a globalizing world' I would add
> something like:  'This commitment is evidenced in human rights treaties and
> covenants, multilateral environmental agreements and specific health
> agreements such as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.'  I'm not
> sure of how to word what would follow, but it would need to emphasize the
> importance of governments to honour these commitments.
> 
> Under the section, 'Make globalization health friendly,' I think specific
> reference to the right to health (Article 12, ICESCR) would be useful, and
> something that re-committed governments to this right (and to such related
> rights as the right to food, to water, etc.) and the fact that such rights
> are superordinate to all other multilateral agreements, including trade
> agreements.  Best to draft this with a human rights expert?  We might also
> want to support Paul Hunt's call for creation of a 'right to health impact
> assessment methodology' for trade agreements.  This section is also where a
> strong statement on the need to affirm the rights of indigenous peoples to
> food security, land, traditional knowledge, etc. could be made.  (Current
> language on 'cultural diversity' seems a bit weak.)
> 
> Other well-known policy options for making globalization health friendlier
> include:
> 
> Reform of trade agreements to discriminate positively in favour of economic
> development of low- and middle-income countries (the principle of
> non-reciprocity eliminated by the WTO but not regaining some policy
> favour).
> 
> Removal of economic conditionalities from development assistance or
> loans/grants from the international financial institutions and other
> development banks.
> 
> Reform financial markets and international taxation systems to ensure
> equitable cost-sharing of public programs and infrastructures amongst all
> citizens and corporations.
> 
> 
> I'm sure there are many others...
> 
> Remove from the next two sections any reference to public-private
> partnerships.  If there is to be any reference, it should be to developing
> legal frameworks to regulate them, not to promote them!
> 
> Under the 'core responsibility of all governments' section, there should be
> some reference to the need to support labour rights, nationally and
> globally, by ensuring that ILO conventions are ratified and honoured.  It's
> amazing that corporations are discussed throughout, but not labour!
> 
> Under the 'good corporate practices section,' also delete reference to> 
> collaboration with the public health care providers.  This collaboration is
> a matter of public policy, not private sector initiative!  This is a good
> place, too, to reiterate the need for corporations to support reforms to
> create more equitable international (as well as national) taxation systems,
> and to support binding rules on multinational corporate practices to ensure
> a 'level playing field' for all in the increasingly integrated global
> market.
> 
> That's about all the time I have for a preliminary comment.  I'd be
> interested to hear from others whether they think this is an important
> intervention point.  I'd also be willing to review a statement that
> (perhaps
> Kumanan? Or some other?) might be willing/able to prepare for a quick PHA
> e-mail review, that could be sent to WHO prior to the July 14 deadline.
> 
> Cheers.
> 
> 
> _____________
> 
> Ronald Labonte
> Canada Research Chair, Globalization/Health Equity
> Institute of Population Health
> Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine,
> Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa
> Address:
> Institute of Population Health
> 1 Stewart Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> K1N 6N5
> ph:  (613) 562-5800 ext.2288
> fax:  (613) 562-5659
> cell: (613) 796-1668
> e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
> web:  www.iph.uottawa.ca
> 
> 

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