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, Daniel García San José (secret.) , Ana Badia Martí (voc.) , Francesco Seatzu (voc.) , Rosa María Giles Carnero (voc.) For several decades, a situation an intensified interrelation has been creating a globalized world. In terms of health, an increased number of movements of populations and the trade of goods and services, are causing a greater risk of illness. Clearly, when an intercontinental crossing lasted week, it was easy to detect and isolate any traveler, as the vector of an illness, and other persons in contact with that person. However, when you can travel the same route in only a few hours, everything is far more complex. Consequently, a galloping spread of disease proves that the development of an international early-warning and response system is urgently the needed to manage such risks and threats.
First of all, health, in a broad sense, can be understood as good physical and mental health which allows people to carry out their different functions in a normal way. Therefore, health law is a primordial, indivisible, interdependent and autonomous human right.
Health security is understood to be a strategy for eradicating or, at least, reducing health risks and threats. The main objective is to create preventive and rapid action mechanisms in order to prevent and control infectious and parasitic diseases, particularly in vulnerable zones. Simultaneously, health security ensures the establishment of systems to combat illnesses that pose a threat and gives a greater attention to vulnerable groups.
In this respect, there is a clear connection between health security and international security because the spread of viruses or infectious diseases is one of the main threats to international security. It can cause instability and conflicts. To safeguard international peace and security there must be threat control, and at the same time, social and economic development.
The causes of risks and threats to international peace and security are not only epidemics caused by natural causes, but are also diseases used in biological warfare, infectious viruses used in terrorist attacks and epidemics caused by migratory flow, industrial accidents or climate change.
Since the main purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security in the face of dangerous situations, risk or threats concerning health, these will be adequately handled by this international organization, and specifically by the Security Council or the General Assembly, in accordance with the context and circumstances.
In this sense, it can be noted that in accordance with the UN Charter, if a potential international health emergency is a risk to international peace and security, the Security Council, and if not, the General Assembly can recommend a cordon sanitaire as a system of prevention, action or rebuilding.
