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May 2, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Interactive Multistakeholder Hearing on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being
Date
May 2, 2025
Time
10.00 – 18.00, EDT
Venue
Background
In accordance with General Assembly resolution 79/273 of 6 March 2025, the President of the General Assembly will convene an interactive multistakeholder hearing as part of the preparatory process for the fourth high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and well-being on Friday, 2 May 2025 in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, at the United Nations Headquarters, New York.
The fourth high-level meeting, scheduled to take place on 25 September 2025, will review commitments and outcomes of the previous three high-level meetings on noncommunicable diseases held in 2011, 2014, and 2018. These meetings reaffirmed the importance of addressing NCDs as a major public health and developmental challenge and reinforced the commitment of Member States to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030 and enhance mental health and well-being, as set out in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.4. Previous high-level meetings have also emphasized that the prevention and control of NCDs and action to improve mental health require comprehensive, integrated, and multi-sectoral responses, across government and society.
In response to commitments set out in the previous high-level meetings, the World Health Organization (WHO), the wider United Nations system, and non-state actors have scaled up activities to support governments to deliver multisectoral and multistakeholder action to address SDG target 3.4 and other NCD-related SDGs, through the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (GCM/NCD), the WHO Civil Society Working Group on Noncommunicable Diseases and the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.
To enhance multisectoral and multi-stakeholder collaboration, the mandate of the WHO global coordination mechanism on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases has been extended until 2030 (World Health Assembly decision WHA74(11)), acknowledging its work on multi-stakeholder engagement and its contribution to strengthening national leadership,
governance, multisectoral action and partnerships. The global coordination mechanism has supported countries in advancing multisectoral approaches to non-communicable diseases through a global mapping and compendium report, with key lessons and country case studies, guidance issued to Member States on engaging with the private sector, and a WHO framework on meaningful engagement with people with lived experience.
Objective
The multistakeholder hearing will serve as an inclusive platform for stakeholders to share their perspectives, experiences, and best practices while identifying challenges and proposing actionable solutions. The discussion will focus on identifying priority actions to accelerate progress toward achieving SDG 3.4 and identifying concrete milestones for a successful high-level meeting on 25 September 2025 and its Political Declaration.
The hearing will also present an opportunity for Member States and Observers of the General Assembly to engage with stakeholders and to be apprised of the progress of the GCM.
The multistakeholder hearing consists of an opening segment, two panel discussions and a closing segment. The themes for the panel discussions are as follows:
- Panel discussion 1: Tackling the determinants of noncommunicable diseases and mental health and well-being through multisectoral and effective governance and collaborative action.
- Panel discussion 2: Reshaping and strengthening health systems and all forms of financing to meet the needs of people living with and at risk of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions.
Each panel will discuss progress being made, challenges faced, and recommendations to scale up cost-effective and evidence-based action.
Program
- Opening Segment.Statements by:
- H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, President of the General Assembly
- Mr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (video message)
- H.E. Mr. Cherdchai Chaivaivid, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations on behalf of the Foreign Policy and Global Health Initiative
- Ms. Stephanie Whiteman, Youth Speaker and Assistant Lecturer of Public Health, University of West Indies
- Panel discussion 1: Tackling the determinants of noncommunicable diseases and mental health and well-being through multisectoral and effective governance and collaborative action. Moderator: Mr. Adnan A. Hyder, Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Global Health, George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health
- Ms. Magda Robalo Correira e Silva, Executive Director, Women in Global Health
- Mr. Vincent Mujune, Country Director, Strongs Minds – Uganda
- Ms. Johanna Ralston, Executive Director, World Obesity Foundation
- Lunch Break
- Panel discussion 2: Reshaping and strengthening health systems and all forms of financing to meet the needs of people living with and at risk of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions. Moderator: Ms. Andrea Feigl, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Health Finance Institute
- Ms. Hassatou Diop N’Sele, Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, African Development Bank Group
- Ms. Maisha Hutton, Executive Director, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
- Ms. Tamari Dakhundaridze, Director, Krystyna Kiel Oncology Center
- Closing segment. Remarks by:
- Ms. Monika Arora, Co-chair of the WHO Civil Society Working Group
- H.E. Mr. Olivier Maes, Permanent Representative of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- H.E. Ms. Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Participation
The hearing will bring together various stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, invited civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations, academia, medical associations, and relevant private sector entities. It will also ensure the participation of broader communities, as well as women, children, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and people of African descent. Furthermore, it will include organizations representing individuals affected by NCDs and mental health conditions, persons with disabilities, and senior-level representatives from Member States. Observers from the General Assembly, parliamentarians, local government representatives, and relevant United Nations entities will also be involved.
There will be no pre-established list of speakers for the panel discussions. Participants wishing to take the floor during the interactive discussion are invited to press the microphone button. The time limit will be three minutes for individual statements and five minutes for statements on behalf of groups.
The meeting will be broadcasted on UN WebTV.