Human rights are fundamental and universal rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of nationality, ethnic origin, age or any other status without which they cannot live a dignified life. These principles should be at the center of all public policies and practices, including, as WHO’s Constitution recognizes, those related to health and health care.9 But human rights norms and standards are not just widely accepted: human rights treaties create specific legal obligations for member states that have ratified them to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights in the development and implementation of laws, policies and programs. The right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health10—a right that practically all countries have committed to uphold—articulates numerous concrete obligations for States relevant to UHC, thus making UHC an expression of an important dimension of this right. Among others, it requires that States ensure the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of health services. Some of these obligations and principles are discussed below.