A/63/263 I. Introduction 1. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (“the right to the highest attainable standard of health” or “the right to health”) was established pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2002/31 and 2004/27. By its resolution 6/29 of 14 December 2007, the Human Rights Council extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further period of three years. The present report is submitted in accordance with that resolution. II. Activities of the mandate 2. In accordance with his mandate, the Special Rapporteur has been considering the policies and practices of pharmaceutical companies in relation to the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including access to medicines. In that context, the Special Rapporteur was invited to undertake a visit to a pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline on 2 and 3 June 2008. The main objective of the mission was to review the policies of that company and learn about good practices, as well as obstacles encountered by the company in relation to the right to the highest attainable standard of heath. The report will be submitted to the Human Rights Council in 2009. 3. On 5 June 2008, the Human Rights Council devoted a full day’s meeting to the human rights of women. The purpose of the meeting was to give an overview of the work of other United Nations bodies and agencies regarding the human rights of women. The Special Rapporteur participated in the panel on maternal mortality that was designed to raise awareness of maternal mortality as a human rights issue. Participants discussed a wide range of issues, including sexual and reproductive health rights; the importance of education and awareness-raising on sexual and reproductive health issues; access to contraception, emergency obstetric care and other health services; the relationship between maternal mortality and unsafe abortion; the importance of increasing donor support for maternal health; and the critical importance of monitoring and accountability, such as maternal death audits or reviews. 4. Between January and July 2008, the Special Rapporteur participated in a number of meetings convened by international organizations, Governments, civil society and others. In February, he spoke at a conference, organized by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, on health and human rights. Also in February, he spoke to the staff of the leading medical journal, The Lancet. In March, he travelled to Washington, D.C., and made a presentation to the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) on “Looking at the PAHO Strategic Plan 2008-2012 from a human rights perspective”. While in Washington, he was invited to the 131st regular session of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to participate in a right-to-health discussion with the Commissioners and other specialists. In March, the Special Rapporteur delivered a paper, on health and human rights impact assessments, as part of a seminar series organized by London Metropolitan University. During the same month he also delivered a keynote address at an African HIV/AIDS Conference in London. In April he made a presentation on palliative care and human rights to the Help the Hospices International Palliative Care Reference Group. In April, he spoke on the right to the highest attainable standard of health at 08-45647 3