Economic accessibility (affordability): health facilities, goods and services must be affordable for all. Payment for health-care services, as well as services related to the underlying determinants of health, has to be based on the principle of equity, ensuring that these services, whether privately or publicly provided, are affordable for all, including socially disadvantaged groups. Equity demands that poorer households should not be disproportionately burdened with health expenses as compared to richer households. Information accessibility: accessibility includes the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas concerning health issues. However, accessibility of information should not impair the right to have personal health data treated with confidentiality.” 327 Acceptability “All health facilities, goods and services must be respectful of medical ethics and culturally appropriate, i.e. respectful of the culture of individuals, minorities, peoples and communities, sensitive to gender and life-cycle requirements, as well as being designed to respect confidentiality and improve the health status of those concerned.” 328 Quality “As well as being culturally acceptable, health facilities, goods and services must also be scientifically and medically appropriate and of good quality. This requires, inter alia, skilled medical personnel, scientifically approved and unexpired drugs and hospital equipment, safe and potable water, and adequate sanitation.”329 8.1.2 Obligations of State Parties The link between climate change and the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health has been recognized by States for some time. For example, the first line of the original UNFCCC agreement directly mentions the threat to human health posed by climate change. Indeed, obligations of State parties related to climate change under Article 12 of ICESCR intersect with obligations under a number of related international treaties, which will be briefly summarised here. A general declaration on the topic of health can also be found in the UDHR, which states at Article 25 that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care…” - Actively ensuring access to health care services, especially for the most vulnerable. Article 12 of ICESCR, especially when read in conjunction with articles 7 and 10, guarantees the “creation of conditions which would ensure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness.” Accessibility of quality health care services and medicine is a central aspect of adaptation to climate change. Numerous international conventions emphasize access to medical services, especially 79