The Right to Health: An Interview with Professor Paul Hunt

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highestattainable standard of physical and mental health was established through the United NationsCommission on Human Rights resolution 2002/31 of 22 April 2002. Since the establishment of themandate, Professor Paul Hunt has been carrying out the task. Paul Hunt is Professor in theDepartment of Law and former Director of the Human Rights Centre at Essex University, and alsoAdjunct Professor at Waikato University, New Zealand. He has served as an independent expert on theUnited Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Duties entailed in the mandateinclude receiving individual complaints, carrying out country visits, and producing annual reports forthe UN Commission on Human Rights and UN General Assembly. Professor Hunt recently returnedfrom visits to Peru and Romania and he has also visited Mozambique as well as the World TradeOrganization. Thus far the Special Rapporteur has produced three reports for the UN Commission onHuman Rights as well as two reports for the UN General Assembly. The Essex Human Rights Review(EHRR) is proud to bring this interview with the Special Rapporteur.