A/HRC/23/59 standard of health. Member States reiterated that the realization of the right of the child to health was indispensable for the enjoyment of all other rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the need for a holistic approach to the promotion of the right of the child to health. Reference was also made to the importance of ensuring that all children had equal access to quality health care without discrimination, and that inequalities in access to health care were often linked to more structural issues, such as inadequate health systems, insufficient health financing and lack of qualified human resources. Conflict, poverty and the lack of clean water in certain areas prevented children from enjoying their right to health. Child mortality, epidemics and HIV/AIDS continued to pose serious challenges for some countries. Several delegates raised the situation and vulnerability of children under foreign occupation. 19. Several speakers stated that more attention should be paid to technical assistance and cooperation in enhancing children’s human rights, including the right to health. Some delegations also expressed support for the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health adopted at the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health on 21 October 2011, as well as for the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a new communications procedure. Birth registration was mentioned as an essential step to strengthen the rights of the child, including the right to health. The importance of treating children with care, sensitivity, fairness and respect throughout any health-care intervention was also raised. Several delegations referred to the best interests of the child as a primary consideration. In this context, the promotion of breastfeeding was raised. The essential role of the family in ensuring the well-being and protection of children was also emphasized. 20. Health education, and in particular sexual and reproductive health education and information for children and adolescents, was stressed. Reference was made to how sexual and reproductive rights were being neglected and breached by harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriage. Other issues raised included technology advances and prenatal sex selection, the importance of awareness-raising initiatives on the right of the child to health, and the need for States to take appropriate measures to reduce child mortality. 21. Non-governmental organizations expressed concern at children’s environmental health, and called upon Governments to take action to prevent the exposure of children to toxic chemicals and to treat its impact on health. They also expressed concern with regard to migrant children and requested that States ensure that the best interests of the child were always prioritized, regardless of the migration status of the child or of his or her parents. Attention was also drawn to the vulnerability and special needs of children in detention and of children in conflict with the law. D. Concluding remarks 22. The moderator summarized the key points raised and invited panellists to respond to a number of issues, including whether universal health coverage was a panacea; the challenges to multi-sectoral policies in dealing with access of children to health; the role of the family and how to address opposing views expressed on issues concerning sexual education; the role that national human rights institutions could have in promoting and protecting the right of the child to health; and how the international community could do more to support and strengthen institutions in child health. 23. With regard to universal health coverage, Ms. Bustreo stated that the universality of access to health services was the concept that underpinned the work of 7