With the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs (UN HLM on NCDs) just over two months away, on September 27^th during the week of the General Assembly in New York, the coming weeks represent a prime opportunity to continue taking action nationally or regionally, while building or reinforcing relationships with national missions in New York.

On July 2, 2018, the NCD Alliance convened a webinar exclusively for national and regional NCD alliances already working on UN HLM on NCDs advocacy or those interesting in stepping up action. It covered essentials from the perspective of national advocates, including:

• A breakdown of the timeline and key milestones between now and the meeting itself on September 27^th
• A guide to the negotiations and how to influence them, including the negotiations process, NCD Alliance advocacy resources, and a profile of key officials to reach out to and why
• A summary of official events to be aware of and engage in 
• A brief guide to the NCD Alliance’s ENOUGH campaign and how to contribute

A recording of the webinar is available online (please contact [email protected] for the password).

A few days after the webinar, on the 5^th of July, an Interactive Stakeholder Hearing was held at the UN in New York. The hearing was convened by the President of the UN General Assembly of the as part of the preparatory process for the UN HLM on NCDs. Per the modalities for the UN HLM on NCDs, it brought together civil society, philanthropic foundations, academia, medical associations, the private sector and broader communities to discuss priorities for the UN HLM on NCDs. You can read our coverage of the day’s key highlights here.

A group of national and regional advocates attended this event, including a group of 11 advocates from 5 countries who participated in an NCD Alliance Accelerator Programme Fly-In over four days, which enabled 4 groups to formally meet with their national missions to the UN. 

As we move ahead, please remember to keep track of your key campaign activities! We will be reaching out after the 27^th of September to document all of the actions that have occurred around the world to build a global picture of how civil society stepped up to this opportunity. We look forward to hearing about your work!