Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
#globalhealth #law #unitednations #humanrights
In this video, I talk to Javier Vasquez about Global Health Law. Javier discusses how we can advance human rights and global health and develop systems to support people in situations of vulnerability.
Javier Vásquez is a lawyer with 30 years of experience in public health, human/labor rights, disability and health-related law. He began his career working for an NGO in the national psychiatric hospital of Panama where he became aware of the close links between mental health and human rights norms. Currently he is the “Senior Legal and Policy Advisor” for “La Isla Network” where he provides advice on labor and human rights to prevent chronic kidney disease on non-traditional causes and other non-communicable diseases related to climate change and “heat stress” in agricultural, textile and construction workers (among others). At La Isla Network he also advised NGOs, governments, multilateral organizations, and the private sector on interventions to prevent human trafficking, modern slavery and forced labor.
Previously, as the “Senior Advisor of the United Nations Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility” he supported the “UN Special Envoy” on international human rights issues in line with the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. As “Vice-President of Health Programs” with “Special Olympics International” (2016-2019), Mr. Vásquez led all annual planning efforts to strengthen health systems at national, regional and global levels to achieve targets related to access to health care services by persons with intellectual disabilities.
For 17 years, he was the Human Rights Advisor and Specialist (2000-2016) for the World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for the Americas known as Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) where he advised Governments in collaboration with PAHO/WHO country offices on strategies to improve access to health systems and the right to the highest attainable standard of health (“right to health”) and other related human rights of groups in situation of vulnerability. In PAHO/WHO, he also facilitated the formulation/review of national health laws, polices, practices; and the reform of public health services in a manner consistent with international treaties that protect the right to health. Prior to his work at Special Olympics International and PAHO/WHO, Mr. Vasquez was a “Human Rights Specialist” and recipient of the “Romulo Gallegos Fellowship”, for the “Inter-American Commission on Human Rights” at the Organization of American States (Washington D.C. May 1997-May 1998) where he prepared draft reports on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with psychosocial disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Mr. Vasquez holds a Master’s Degree in International Law from the “Washington College of Law” (WCL), The American University (AU), Washington, D.C. (1996) which focused on International Human Rights Law, critical issues pertaining to the right to health and other related human rights of groups in situation of vulnerability and ethnic/gender equality.
#globalhealth #law #unitednations #humanrights
In this video, I talk to Javier Vasquez about Global Health Law. Javier discusses how we can advance human rights and global health and develop systems to support people in situations of vulnerability.
Javier Vásquez is a lawyer with 30 years of experience in public health, human/labor rights, disability and health-related law. He began his career working for an NGO in the national psychiatric hospital of Panama where he became aware of the close links between mental health and human rights norms. Currently he is the “Senior Legal and Policy Advisor” for “La Isla Network” where he provides advice on labor and human rights to prevent chronic kidney disease on non-traditional causes and other non-communicable diseases related to climate change and “heat stress” in agricultural, textile and construction workers (among others). At La Isla Network he also advised NGOs, governments, multilateral organizations, and the private sector on interventions to prevent human trafficking, modern slavery and forced labor.
Previously, as the “Senior Advisor of the United Nations Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility” he supported the “UN Special Envoy” on international human rights issues in line with the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. As “Vice-President of Health Programs” with “Special Olympics International” (2016-2019), Mr. Vásquez led all annual planning efforts to strengthen health systems at national, regional and global levels to achieve targets related to access to health care services by persons with intellectual disabilities.
For 17 years, he was the Human Rights Advisor and Specialist (2000-2016) for the World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for the Americas known as Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) where he advised Governments in collaboration with PAHO/WHO country offices on strategies to improve access to health systems and the right to the highest attainable standard of health (“right to health”) and other related human rights of groups in situation of vulnerability. In PAHO/WHO, he also facilitated the formulation/review of national health laws, polices, practices; and the reform of public health services in a manner consistent with international treaties that protect the right to health. Prior to his work at Special Olympics International and PAHO/WHO, Mr. Vasquez was a “Human Rights Specialist” and recipient of the “Romulo Gallegos Fellowship”, for the “Inter-American Commission on Human Rights” at the Organization of American States (Washington D.C. May 1997-May 1998) where he prepared draft reports on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with psychosocial disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Mr. Vasquez holds a Master’s Degree in International Law from the “Washington College of Law” (WCL), The American University (AU), Washington, D.C. (1996) which focused on International Human Rights Law, critical issues pertaining to the right to health and other related human rights of groups in situation of vulnerability and ethnic/gender equality.
