With negotiations for the political declaration for the high-level meeting on NCDs, mental health and wellbeing underway, ahead of the fourth high-level meeting, the Task Force has issued three briefs to support Member States as they work towards a political declaration that sets an ambitious roadmap to meeting the NCD-related SDG targets.
The first brief highlights the essential role of the UN system in supporting the world to reduce the burden of NCDs and mental health conditions, encouraging Member States to use the political declaration to promote ever greater action across the UN system and the Task Force. The Task Force was established in 2013 in response to the first political declaration in 2011.
The second brief highlights the importance of the Health4Life Fund that was established in 2021 in response to the third high-level political declaration in 2018 to provide catalytic support to countries to deliver their national policies and plans.
Heads of State and Government also committed themselves to develop national investment cases on the prevention and control of NCDs in the 2018 political declaration. The third brief highlights the work of the Task Force with over 70 Member States in developing these investment cases and their impact.
‘We’re seeing real momentum’, Nick Banatvala, Head of the Task Force secretariat said, adding, ‘We have a Task Force increasingly delivering at country level, the Health4Life Fund disbursing more catalytic grants, and investment cases driving tangible results’.
A recently released joint independent evaluation describes the Task Force as ‘an effective coordination mechanism and an exemplar of the UN working as one’, with the report highlighting its ‘high demand from both Member States and UN agencies’.
But Banatvala added, ‘Member States are still not asking enough of the Task Force and the UN system overall when it comes to supporting countries to scale up the multisectoral action needed to reduce NCDs and improve mental health at global, regional and country level – the political declaration is a big opportunity for them to do this’.
At the country level, UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks increasingly include NCDs and mental health, but there are some crucial areas that, alarmingly, are not included. For example, in a recent analysis, the Task Force found that only 7% of these frameworks have action to tackle the public health and development scourge of alcohol.
Reflecting on the investment cases, Roy Small of UNDP said, ‘Each case equips decision-makers with nationally tailored data on the costs of inaction and the returns on investment – enabling smarter spending and more effective policies, institutions and capacities.’ He added, ‘They’ve supported better governance, improved financing, and enhanced service delivery, contributing not only to stronger health systems and universal health coverage, but also to economic resilience and human capital’.
Rory Nefdt from UNICEF also issued a clarion call, ‘ Make 2025 the year children take center stage in the political declaration. By prioritizing their mental health, life skills, resilience, and care for those living with NCDs, while shielding them from harmful exposures, we pave the way for healthier, more thriving generations tomorrow’.
The Task Force is calling for a political declaration that:
- Is concise and action-oriented; ambitious yet achievable; and grounded in evidence.
- Emphasizes the impact of NCDs and mental health conditions on vulnerable populations, human capital and the drag on national economies.
- Strikes a positive tone, recognizing progress to date, emphasizing that accelerated action can help achieve national and global targets, and contribute significantly to sustainable development.
- Focuses on a set of high-impact interventions where Member States can make rapid progress, while reinforcing key enablers such as governance, financing and health systems strengthening.
- Promotes a life-course approach, with targeted action for children, adolescents, adults and older persons.
- Commits to clear accountability for results, including mechanisms to monitor progress, share learning, and sustain political commitment.
The first informal negotiations on the zero-draft political declaration will take place on 5 June 2025 in New York.
