A/HRC/13/51 he reiterated the need for technical cooperation and capacity-building based on, inter alia, south-south and inter-agency cooperation. 18. The Director of Health Systems Financing of the World Health Organization (WHO), David B. Evans, focused on universal coverage and financial risk protection in health-care services. He referred to the resolution adopted by all Member States at the World Health Assembly in 2005, in which they urged countries to develop health financing systems to ensure that all people had access to necessary services without suffering the severe financial consequences associated with having access to or using these services. In his view, this was fundamental to the concept of a social protection floor. 19. Mr. Evans highlighted four major reforms that need to be undertaken: (a) universal coverage reform, to improve health quality; (b) service delivery reforms, to make health systems people-centred; (c) leadership reforms, to ensure health authorities were moving policies in the right direction, consistent with human rights objectives; and (d) public policy reforms, to promote and protect health. 20. According to Mr. Evans, previous crises showed that it was possible to protect health during crises through a combination of policies linked to protecting incomes, employment, health care and education. Working with countries was important in reducing financial barriers to access to health services and promoting the efficient and equitable use of funds to eliminate exclusion. At the international level, he emphasized the importance of collaboration with partners such as ILO and other United Nations bodies on the responses to the economic and financial crisis, including the social protection floor. 21. The above presentations were followed by an interactive debate. Interventions were made by representatives of Ecuador, Guyana and Jordan, as well as ATD Quart Monde, CIVICUS, Handicap International, the International Federation of University Women, the International Social Science Council and Dr. Margot Salomon of the London School of Economics. 22. During the interactive debate, it was reaffirmed that poverty was both a cause and a consequence of human rights violations. Special attention was drawn to the particularly vulnerable situation of persons with disabilities and the barriers to health and education services. It was also emphasized that a participatory approach was crucial to ensure access by vulnerable people to essential services and social protection. On the question of universality of access to social security, it was recalled that the human rights obligations of States required them to ensure that all persons falling under their jurisdiction, regardless of their legal status in the country, had access to health and social protection services. 23. The debate also highlighted the need for a more democratic framework for sharing research and knowledge on socio-economic issues. In this respect, reference was made to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as an example of an effective international mechanism that reviews and evaluates scientific information provided by scientists and civil society. It was suggested that a similar mechanism for sharing poverty studies would render these studies more legitimate and increase the capacity for policy dialogue. 24. With regard to social security programmes, some speakers stressed the importance of not only outcomes but also the process, which should comply with human rights. The majority advocated participatory and universal approaches to social protection. Sharing best practices was repeatedly underlined as an important tool to help guide the development of national policies. In the light of limited resources in some developing countries and with the current crisis, speakers also reiterated the need for continued official development assistance (ODA) and other assistance. 6 GE.09-17229