On March 21, GI-ESCR participated in the launch of the policy brief, "Human Rights Principles in Fiscal Policy and the Right to Health," organised by the Initiative of Human Rights in Fiscal Policy. The virtual event brought together influential voices from health and fiscal justice movements to spark a key conversation on bridging their agendas for a more equitable future.

Highlights from the event included insightful presentations from the report’s authors, who shed light on the significant findings and implications of our collective research. Notably, Olivia Minatta provided an overview of the report while our programme officer on Economic Justice, Vicente Silva, emphasised the report’s importance in the context of the growing trend of privatisation of public services but also in the context of key global opportunities regarding the tax justice agenda. The panel discussion featured perspectives from Martha Yaneth Sandoval of Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Susana Barria from Public Services International, and Diego Vazquez of Amnesty International, offering global and regional insights into the intersection of health, taxation, and human rights.

This policy brief is a collaborative effort led by the Initiative P&D highlighting the collective push towards integrating human rights principles into fiscal policies to safeguard the right to health. The discussions held during the event, attended by participants from across Latin America, underscore the urgency and relevance of our findings in guiding substantive agendas for economic, social, and cultural rights.

As we move forward, the insights garnered from this event and the policy brief itself will be instrumental in our ongoing advocacy efforts. We aim to contribute to the path forward for policymakers, ensuring fiscal policies not only align with human rights commitments but actively advance the right to health for all, particularly the most vulnerable.

Access the full policy brief here: