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Using Human Rights Law to Progress Alcohol Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2020

Clare SLATTERY Open the ORCID record for Clare SLATTERY [Opens in a new window]
Clare SLATTERY*
Affiliation:
Legal Research Officer, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, email: clare.slattery@mccabecentre.org.
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Abstract

Alcohol control has long been recognised as a public health concern. Recent years have also seen increased recognition of the relationship between alcohol control and the human rights agenda. However, fragmentation exists in key global governance instruments over the role alcohol control plays as a human rights priority. The relative success of tobacco control illustrates how utilisation of agendas beyond public health can mobilise action.

Type
Special Issue on the Global Governance of Alcohol
Information
European Journal of Risk Regulation , Volume 12 , Special Issue 2: Symposium on COVID-19 Certificates and Special Issue on the Global Governance of Alcohol , June 2021 , pp. 444 - 459
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

I am grateful for helpful comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of this article made by Suzanne Zhou, Hayley Jones, participants at the Public Health and Global Governance of Alcohol Conference (Melbourne, 30 September–3 October 2019) and the anonymous reviewers. Any errors remain my own.

References

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4 World Health Organization, supra, note 1, pp 63−66.

5 World Health Organization, supra, note 1, p 82.

6 World Health Organization, supra, note 1, p 5 (citations omitted).

7 World Health Organization, supra, note 1, p 6.

8 World Health Organization, supra, note 1, pp 7, 63, 133.

9 World Health Organization, “Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol”, WHA Res 63.13, 63rd sess, 8th plen mtg, WHO Doc WHA63/2010/REC/1 (21 May 2010) <https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44395/9789241599931_eng.pdf?sequence=1> (Global Alcohol Strategy; last accessed 5 June 2020); the 146th Executive Board of the WHO decided to develop an action plan (2022–2030) to effectively implement the Global Alcohol Strategy as a public health priority. World Health Organization, “Accelerating Action to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol”, EB146(14), 146th sess, 12th mtg (7 February 2020).

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11 See, eg, “WHO Public Hearing on Harmful Use of Alcohol Volume I: Received summaries of all contributions” (World Health Organization, 2009) pp 24, 33, 36, 54, 76, 81 <https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/alcohol/public-hearing-on-harmful-use-of-alcohol/volume-i-summary-of-submissions.pdf?sfvrsn=99d400c8_2> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

12 Global Alcohol Strategy, supra, note 9, para 12(g).

13 Global Alcohol Strategy, supra, note 9, paras 17, 27.

14 See, eg, JF Mosher, “What Place for Alcoholic Beverage Container Labels? A View from the United States” (1997) 92 Addiction 789; AR Chapman, “Can Human Rights Standards Help Protect Children and Youth From the Detrimental Impact of Alcohol Beverage Marketing and Promotional Activities?” (2016) 112 Addiction 117.

15 Chapman, supra, note 14.

16 See, eg, S Gruskin et al, “Noncommunicable Diseases and Human Rights: A Promising Synergy” (2014) 104 American Journal of Public Health 773; L Ferguson et al, “Non-communicable Diseases and Human Rights: Global Synergies, Gaps and Opportunities” (2017) 12 Global Public Health 1200.

17 See, eg, Gruskin et al, supra, note 16; Ferguson et al, supra, note 16, p 1201; LO Gostin and BM Meier, “The Origins of Human Rights in Global Health” in BM Meier and LO Gostin (eds), Human Rights in Global Health: Rights-Based Governance for a Globalizing World (Oxford, Oxford Scholarship Online 2018) pp 36–37.

18 See, eg, Gruskin et al, supra, note, p 16.

19 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (adopted 16 December 1966, entered into force 3 January 1976) 993 UNTS 3, Art 12.

20 Convention on the Rights of the Child (adopted 20 November 1989, entered into force 2 September 1990) 1577 UNTS 3, Art 24.

21 See, eg, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 1986 Art 16; Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1988 Art 10; Constitution of South Africa 1996 Art 27; Constitution of Fiji 2013 Art 38; see also AR Chapman, Global Health, Human Rights, and the Challenge of Neoliberal Policies (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016) chs 1, 9.

22 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, “General Comment No 14 (2000): The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)” UN ESCOR, 22nd sess, Agenda Item 3, UN Doc E/C.12/2000/4 (11 August 2000) paras 33, 51 (General Comment No 14).

23 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted 10 December 1948) UNGA Res 217 A(III) Art 19.

24 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (adopted 13 December 2006, entered into force 3 May 2008) 2515 UNTS 3, Art 21.

25 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (adopted 16 December 1966, entered into force 23 March 1976) 999 UNTS 171, Art 19.

26 See, eg, Mosher, supra, note 14.

27 See, eg, R Mathews et al, “Vested Interests in Addiction Research and Policy: Is the Alcohol Industry Delaying Government Action on Alcohol Health Warning Labels in Australia?” (2013) 108 Addiction 1989.

28 See generally BM Meier and VB Gomes, “Human Rights Treaty Bodies: Monitoring, Interpreting and Adjudicating Health-Related Human Rights” in BM Meier and LO Gostin (eds), Human Rights in Global Health: Rights-Based Governance for a Globalizing World (Oxford, Oxford Scholarship Online 2018) pp 502–23.

29 General Comment No 14, supra, note 22, para 11.

30 Chapman, supra, note 14, p 118.

31 General Comment No 14, supra, note 22, para 36; see also Chapman, supra, note 14, p 118.

32 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “General Comment No 15 (2013) on the Right to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (Art 24)” UN Doc CRC/C/GC/15 (17 April 2013).

33 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “General Comment No 4 (2003) Adolescent Health and Development in the Context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child” 33rd sess, UN DOC CRC/GC/2003/4 (1 July 2003) para 25.

34 ibid, fn 4.

35 H Clark et al, “A Future for the World’s Children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission” (2020) 395 Lancet 605, 606, 630−35. See also Chapman, supra, note 14, p 120.

36 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “General Comment No. 16 (2013) on State Obligations Regarding the Impact of the Business Sector on Children’s Rights” UN Doc CRC/C/GC/16 (17 April 2013); see also Chapman, supra, note 14, pp 119−20.

37 “Mobilising for Change: Alcohol Policy and the Evidence for Action: Communique” (Global Alcohol Policy Conference, 4–6 October 2015) <https://globalgapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Melbourne-Communique-10-6-17-final.pdf> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

38 World Health Organization, “Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2011” (2011) <www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/msbgsruprofiles.pdf> (last accessed 5 June 2020); World Health Organization, “Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2014” (2014) <https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/112736/9789240692763_eng.pdf?sequence=1> (last accessed 5 June 2020); World Health Organization, supra, note 1.

39 See, eg, C Dresler and S Marks, “The Emerging Human Right to Tobacco Control” (2006) 28 Human Rights Quarterly 599, 650; OA Cabrera and LO Gostin, “Human Rights and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: Mutually Reinforcing Systems” (2011) 7 International Journal of Law in Context 285, 291.

40 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (adopted 21 May 2003, entered into force 27 February 2005) 2302 UNTS 166, preamble, Art 4(1).

41 Cabrera and Gostin, supra, note 39, pp 291–92.

42 Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, “Delhi Declaration” FCTC/COP7(29), 7th sess, 5th plen mtg (12 November 2016) 2.

43 Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, “International Cooperation for Implementation of the WHO FCTC, including on human rights” FCTC/COP7(26), 7th sess, 5th plen mtg (12 November 2016).

44 “Cape Town Declaration on Human Rights and a Tobacco-Free World” (17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, 2018) para 1 <https://2bark924ef5o2dk1z21reqtf-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Cape-Town-Declaration-on-Human-Rights-and-a-Tobacco-free-World_FINAL.pdf> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

45 “Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Hearing: Tobacco Addiction and the Right to Health” (ASH, 2016) <https://ash.org/hrcommission-advisory/> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

46 “The Convention Secretariat Highlights the Link Between Human Rights and Tobacco Control on the Margins of the United Nations Human Rights Council” (WHO FCTC, 25 June 2019) <https://www.who.int/fctc/mediacentre/news/2019/link-between-human-rights-tobacco-control/en/> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

47 See, eg, R de Silva de Alwis and R Daynard, “Reconceptualizing Human Rights to Challenge Tobacco” (2008–2009) 17 Michigan State Journal of International Law 291; Cabrera and Gostin, supra, note 39; AE Yamin and A Constantin, “A Long and Winding Road: The Evolution of Applying Human Rights Frameworks to Health” (2018) 49 Georgetown Journal of International Law 191.

48 Cabrera and Gostin, supra, note 39.

49 See, eg, Dresler and Marks, supra, note 39; de Silva de Alwis and Daynard, supra, note 47.

50 See, eg, de Silva de Alwis and Daynard, supra, note 47; Cabrera and Gostin, supra, note 39; see also SY Zhou, JD Liberman and E Ricafort, “The Impact of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Defending Legal Challenges to Tobacco Control Measures” (2019) 28 Tobacco Control 113.

51 See, eg, R Room, “Negotiating the Place of Alcohol in Public Health: The Arguments at the Interface” (2005) 100 Addiction 1396; S Casswell, “Current Developments in the Global Governance Arena: Where Is Alcohol Headed?” (2019) 9 Journal of Global Health <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6650642/pdf/jogh-09-020305.pdf> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

52 See generally Meier and Gomes, supra, note 28.

53 Ireland, “Committee on the Rights of the Child Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention” CRC/C/11/Add.12 (17 June 1996) paras 374, 376.

54 Ireland, “Committee on the Rights of the Child Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention” CRC/C/IRL/2 (9 December 2005) paras 559−60.

55 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention, Concluding Observations: Ireland” CRC/C/IRL/CO/2 (29 September 2006) para 49.

56 See, eg, Ferguson et al, supra, note 16, pp 1219−22.

57 Ferguson et al, supra, note 16, p 1219.

58 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention, Concluding Observations: Timor-Leste” CRC/C/TLS/CO/2-3 (30 October 2015) para 51(c).

59 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by State Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)” CRC/C/VEN/CO/2 (17 October 2007) para 30.

60 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention, Concluding Observations: Cook Islands” CRC/C/COK/CO/1 (22 February 2012) para 52(f).

61 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention, Concluding Observations: Seychelles” CRC/C/SYC/CO/2-4 (23 January 2012) para 57; Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Concluding Observations on the Combined Fifth and Sixth Periodic Reports of Seychelles” CRC/C/SYC/CO/5-6 (5 March 2018) para 33(c).

62 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, “Concluding Observations on the Second Periodic Report of Uzbekistan” E/C.12/UZB/CO/2 (13 June 2014) para 24.

63 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Concluding Observations on the Third and Fourth Periodic Reports of Suriname” CRC/C/SUR/CO/3-4 (9 November 2016) para 31(e).

64 ibid.

65 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention” CRC/C/VEN/3-5 (12 August 2013) paras 106−08.

66 Cabrera and Gostin, supra, note 39, pp 293–94.

67 Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, “Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women: Argentina” CEDAW/C/ARG/C0/6 (16 August 2010), para 40; Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, “Concluding Observations on the Seventh Periodic Report of Argentina” CEDAW/C/ARG/C0/7 (25 November 2016) para 35(g).

68 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, “Concluding Observations on the Initial Report of Indonesia” E/C.12/IDN/CO/1 (19 June 2014) para 35.

69 See, eg, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, “Concluding Observations on the Combined Second and Third Periodic Reports of Armenia” E/C.12/ARM/CO/2-3 (16 July 2014) para 5(c); Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention: Concluding Observations Cook Islands” CRC/C/COK/CO/1 (22 February 2012) para 51.

70 See Ferguson et al, supra, note 16, p 1223.

71 South Africa, “Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Articles 16 and 17 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” E/C.12/ZAF/1 (7 June 2017) para 117.

72 Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance, “Submission to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” (2018).

73 A Bertscher, L London and M Orgill, “Unpacking Policy Formulation and Industry Interference: The Case of the Draft Control of Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill in South Africa” (2018) 33 Health Policy and Planning 786, 787.

74 ibid.

75 Children’s Rights Alliance, “Are We There Yet? Parallel Report to Ireland’s Third and Fourth Combined Report under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child” (September 2015) para 314.

76 ibid.

77 J Anaya, “Report by the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People, Addendum: Situation of Indigenous Peoples in Australia” A/HRC/15/37/Add.4 (1 June 2010) app B para 37.

78 ibid, app B para 13.

79 ibid, app B para 49.

80 See, eg, “WHO Public hearing on Harmful Use of Alcohol Volume I: Received summaries of all contributions” (World Health Organization, 2009) pp 135−36, 147.

81 See, eg, International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, “Comments on Draft Outcome Document – Montevideo Roadmap 2018–30 on NCDs as a Sustainable Development Priority (9 August version)” (August 2017) <https://www.who.int/ncds/governance/montevideo-iard.pdf?ua=1> (last accessed 5 June 2020); Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins, “Comments on Draft Outcome Document – Montevideo Roadmap 2018–30 on NCDs as a Sustainable Development Priority” (22 August 2017) <https://www.who.int/ncds/governance/montevideo-ceev.pdf?ua=1> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

82 Ø Bakke and D Endal, “Alcohol Policies Out of Context: Drinks Industry Supplanting Government Role in Alcohol Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa” (2010) 105 Addiction 22, 24.

83 East African Breweries Limited v Attorney General [2013] eKLR (High Court) [7].

84 East African Breweries Limited v Attorney General [2019] eKLR (Court of Appeal, Civil Appeal Number 344 of 2013).

85 East African Breweries Limited v Attorney General [2013] eKLR (High Court) [33].

86 T Stockwell et al, “Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol Containers: A Consumer’s Right to Know, a Government’s Responsibility to Inform, and an Industry’s Power to Thwart” (2020) 81 Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 284, 287.

87 Global Alcohol Strategy, supra, note 9, para 36(f).

88 Zhou, Liberman and Ricafort, supra, note 50.

89 6th Global Alcohol Policy Conference, “Programme” (Global Alcohol Policy Alliance, 9 March 2020) <https://www.gapc2020.org/programme> (last accessed 5 June 2020).

90 Committee on the Rights of the Child, “General Comment No 15 (2013) on the Right to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (art 24)” UN Doc CRC/C/GC/15 (17 April 2013).

91 The 146th Executive Board of the WHO decided to develop an action plan (2022–2030) to effectively implement the Global Alcohol Strategy as a public health priority; World Health Organization, “Accelerating Action to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol”, EB146(14), 146th sess, 12th mtg (7 February 2020).