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<br />WHEREAS, in Orange County, particularly disparate outcomes are found in diseases such as
<br />nephritis, diabetes, prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, cerebrovascularond heart
<br />disease, and lung cancer; in particular, Orange County most notably includes comparatively low
<br />rates of early lead poisoning testing;
<br />WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners is committed to promoting and
<br />protecting the human rights of its residents, including citizens, non-citizens, adults and children;
<br />WHEREAS, international law establishes health as a human right;
<br />WHEREAS, various international agreements provide a comprehensive framework for
<br />improving the health of people around the world, and that nations in support of the agreement
<br />have agreed to fallow the prescriptions of international agreements, for example:
<br />The right of everyone, not only to the "preservation of health," as set forth in the
<br />American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, but also "to the enjoyment of
<br />the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health," as set forth in the
<br />International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights {ICESCR}, affirmed
<br />by the Declaration of Alma-Ata, and reinforced far children in the U. N. Convention
<br />on the Rights of the Child {CRC);
<br />The right of women, in particular, to equal "access to health care services, including
<br />those related to family planning [and to] appropriate services in connection with
<br />pregnancy, confinement and the post-natal period, granting free services where
<br />necessary, as well as adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation," asset forth
<br />in the Convention on the Elimination of All Farms of Discrimination Against Women
<br />{CEDAW}, which the North Carolina General Assembly has resolved to urge the
<br />United States Senate to adopt in H. R. 388 {1999};
<br />The "right of everyone, without distinction as to race, color, or national or ethnic
<br />origin, ta... public health, medical care, social security and social services," as
<br />emphasized in the U. N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
<br />Discrimination;
<br />And to ensure these standards for health are met, the "right to a standard of living
<br />adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family," affirmed in the
<br />Universal Declaration on Human Rights;
<br />WHEREAS, Orange County shares the goals of international agreements affirming faith in
<br />human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person;
<br />WHEREAS, the mission of the Orange County Health Department is to "enhance the quality of
<br />life, promote the health, and preserve the environment for all people in the Orange County
<br />community" and the bylaws of the Orange County Human Relations Commission state that the
<br />commission shall "seek to prevent and eliminate bias and discrimination because of race, color,
<br />creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, affectional preference, disability, age, marital
<br />status, or status with regard to public assistance";
<br />WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate to support ratification of the mast important international
<br />agreements affecting the health of people throughout the world, and yet few of these
<br />agreements have been ratified by the United States;
<br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners:
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