A/HRC/17/2 not and should not prevent members of the World Trade Organization from taking measures to protect public health and that the Declaration, accordingly, while reiterating the commitment to the Agreement, affirms that it can and should be interpreted and implemented in a manner supportive of the rights of members of the Organization to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all, and further recognizes, in this connection, the right of members of the Organization to use, to the full, the provisions of the above-mentioned Agreement, which provide flexibility for this purpose, Concerned about the interrelatedness between poverty and the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, in particular the fact that ill health can be both a cause and a consequence of poverty, Concerned also that the increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases constitutes a heavy burden on society, with serious social and economic consequences, and aware that there is a need to respond to cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, which represent a leading threat to human health and development, 1. Takes note of the annual report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health;13 2. Recognizes the progressive realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health as one of the central aspects of the process of development, as reflected in health-related internationally agreed development goals, in particular the Millennium Development Goals; 3. Calls upon the international community to continue to assist developing countries in promoting the full realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including through financial and technical support and training of personnel, while recognizing that the primary responsibility for promoting and protecting all human rights rests with States; 4. Encourages States: (a) To integrate the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health into development strategies, particularly with respect to the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, recognizing, in that regard, the critical role of strengthening health systems; (b) To ensure that information on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is widely promoted, particularly in development-related areas, including through transparency, accountability and the participation of individuals and communities; 5. Encourages relevant United Nations programmes and agencies, in particular the World Health Organization, within their mandates, to pay particular attention to the impact of development programmes on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including through the collection and sharing of good practices and the strengthening of national capacities; 13 GE.12-13630 A/HRC/17/25. 39