Hayley Jones, Director at McCabe Centre for Law and Cancerm, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“An overwhelming majority of countries have endorsed the 4th UN Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-Being.
NCDs are the world’s leading cause of death, responsible for 43 million lives lost each year. The broad consensus reached at Thursday’s UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health is a strong signal that the world is taking these challenges seriously.
I was honoured to represent the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer at the UN meeting. After many months of negotiations on the text, having a ringside seat to watch the diplomatic process was both fascinating and instructive.
Australia presented a joint statement on behalf of Canada, New Zealand and which included emphasising the importance of action on NCDs in addressing health inequities for Indigenous people.
The big news of the day was the USA’s objection to the declaration. Given recent shifts in its support for multilateral institutions and withdrawal from WHO, this was disappointing but not surprising. Overwhelming support from other countries means the declaration will proceed to the UN General Assembly, where it is expected to pass.
The declaration – which includes mental health for the first time – sets important targets to accelerate progress and reaffirms the right of every human being to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Importantly, it:
- Calls for action on cervical, breast, liver, and childhood cancers;
- Sets a target for at least 80% of countries to implement strong policies, legislative, regulatory, and fiscal measures on NCDs and mental health;
- Fast tracks action on tobacco and nicotine control, with the aim of 150 million fewer people are using tobacco in 5 years;
- Reinforces commitments to equity and global solidarity.
While not as ambitious as many had hoped, the declaration presents critical opportunities for cancer control and NCD advocacy.
The McCabe Centre had requested to speak on Panel 1 on good governance and multisectoral collaboration – two of our key focus areas as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Law and NCDs. Although time didn’t allow all non-state actors to present, we will publish our statement and further reflections shortly.
For now, I want to thank colleagues across governments, international institutions, and civil society for their tireless work to raise global ambitions on cancer, NCDs, and mental health.
Now to focus on implementation and continue building networks for action on NCDs, in Australia, our region, and beyond – with a fantastic opportunity soon at the World Cancer Leaders Summit!”
More posts featuring Hayley Jones on OncoDaily.
