A/63/263 Enhancing access to medicines, however, has the central place in the societal mission of pharmaceutical companies. For this reason, these non-exhaustive, interrelated Guidelines focus on the human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies in relation to access to medicines. m. The human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies are not confined to the right to the highest attainable standard of health. They have human rights responsibilities, for example, regarding freedom of association and conditions of work. These human rights responsibilities, however, are not addressed in the present Guidelines. n. While most of the Guidelines address issues that are highly relevant to all pharmaceutical companies, including innovator, generic and biotechnology companies, a few of the Guidelines address issues of particular relevance to some companies within the pharmaceutical sector. o. The present Guidelines apply to pharmaceutical companies and their subsidiaries. p. The present Guidelines are based on human rights principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including non-discrimination, equality, transparency, monitoring and accountability. The Constitution of the World Health Organization affirms that the “enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being”. This fundamental human right is codified in numerous national constitutions, as well as international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Accordingly, these Guidelines are informed by some features of the right to the highest attainable standard of health, such as the requirement that medicines are of good quality, safe and efficacious. The Guidelines also draw from other widely accepted standards, such as instruments on medicines adopted by the World Health Organization. q. For the purposes of the present Guidelines, medicines include active pharmaceutical ingredients, diagnostic tools, vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and other related health-care technologies. r. For the purposes of the present Guidelines, neglected diseases are defined as those diseases primarily affecting those living in poverty, especially in rural areas, in low-income countries. Sometimes called tropical or poverty-related diseases, they include, for example, leishmaniasis (kala-azar), onchocerciasis (river blindness), Chagas disease, leprosy, schistosomiasis (bilharzias), lymphatic filariasis, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and dengue. Although in recent years HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria have attracted increasing attention and resources, they may also be regarded as neglected diseases. s. The present Guidelines adopt the World Bank definition of low-income, middle-income and high-income countries. General 1. The company should adopt a human rights policy statement which expressly recognizes the importance of human rights generally, and the right to 16 08-45647