A/HRC/RES/12/24 page 2 Noting with concern that, for millions of people throughout the world, the full enjoyment of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health remains a distant goal and that, in many cases, especially for those living in poverty, this goal is becoming increasingly remote, Recalling the Declaration on the Right to Development, which establishes that States should take, at the national level, all necessary measures for the realization of the right to development and should ensure, inter alia, equality of opportunity for all in their access to basic resources, such as health services, Recalling also its resolution 6/29 of 14 December 2007, in which the Council extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Recalling further Council resolution S-10/1 of 23 February 2009, and reiterating its concern that financial and economic crises are having a negative impact on the ability of States to provide social services, such as health, Regretting the high number of people still without access to medicines, and underscoring that improving access to medicine could save millions of lives every year, 1. Recognizes that access to medicine is one of the fundamental elements in achieving progressively the full realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; 2. Stresses the responsibility of States to ensure access to all, without discrimination, of medicines, in particular essential medicines, that are affordable, safe, effective and of good quality; 3. Calls upon States, at the international level, to take steps, individually and/or through international cooperation, in accordance with applicable international law, including international agreements, to ensure that their actions as members of international organizations take into due account the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and that the application of international agreements is supportive of public health policies that promote broad access to safe, effective and affordable medicines; 4. Recognizes that the Doha Ministerial Declaration on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and Public Health confirms that the Agreement does not and should not prevent States Members of the World Trade Organization from taking measures to protect public health and that the Declaration, 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 States Members of the World Trade Organization to protect public health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all; and further recognizes, in this connection, the right of States Members of the World Trade Organization to use, to the full, the provisions of the above-mentioned Agreement, which provide flexibility for this purpose; 5. Also recognizes that intellectual property protection is important for the development of new medicines, as well as the concerns about its effects on prices;