NETWORK RELEASE

9 December 2016, Geneva.- The second edition of the Global NCD Alliance Forum, the most important event convening civil society organisations working on the prevention and control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) worldwide, will take place in one year, from 9 to 11 December 2017 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Forum will be held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, and Founder and Patron of Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), and co-hosted by the NCD Alliance and Friends of Cancer Patients.

It will bring together representatives from NCD civil society from across the world, particularly national and regional NCD alliances, building links with multilateral organisations, international NGOs, government representatives and NCD experts. 

The first Global NCD Alliance Forum took place in November 2015 in Sharjah, and was the largest gathering of NCD civil society at the global level. It resulted in increased knowledge and advocacy skills, new networks and connections, as well as the landmark Sharjah Declaration on NCDs. “The second edition will build on the success of the 2015 Forum. It will serve as an interactive and dynamic platform to share lessons learnt, best practice and solutions in accelerating action on NCDs at all levels”, said José Luis Castro, Chair of NCD Alliance.

The 2015 Forum brought together NCD civil society at a pivotal moment - two months after world leaders adopted the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “The timing of the 2017 Forum will be equally important. It will provide an opportunity to mobilise the NCD community ahead of the 2018 UN High-Level Review on NCDs. We will unite around priorities for this next global milestone, and strategise to ensure we achieve meaningful outcomes for NCD prevention and control”, said Katie Dain, Executive Director of the NCD Alliance.

With over 45 national and regional alliances attending the 2015 Forum, the demand for and effectiveness of a unified approach to NCD advocacy has never been stronger. The first edition brought together representatives from these alliances to build consensus on ways forward to strengthen the civil society response to NCDs in the context of implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Discussions at the Forum highlighted that civil society alliances play a crucial role in advocating for NCD prevention, improvements in care and health systems coverage, and patient empowerment. By working together and pooling leadership, technical expertise, resources and networks around a common agenda, these alliances are maintaining momentum on NCDs.

About the NCD Alliance 

The NCD Alliance unites over 2,000 civil society organisations from 170 countries by a vision of a future free from preventable suffering and death caused by NCDs. The NCD Alliance is widely recognised as a convenor of the NCD civil society community, providing thought leadership on global policy, setting priorities for the global NCD response, and mobilising civil society action at national and regional levels. It is, therefore, uniquely positioned to convene the Global Forum. https://ncdalliance.org

About Friends of Cancer Patients 

Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) is a charitable, volunteer-based foundation that provides cancer related information and support, engages in prevention and early detection programmes and provides referrals for treatment and care. FoCP has led national campaigns around World Cancer Day since 2008 and is very active in promoting awareness about cancer in the UAE and the region more broadly. FoCP UAE website