On 12 April, the UN General Assembly in New York adopted the final modalities resolution for the third UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs (UN HLM). The meeting will take place on Thursday, 27 Sept., 10 am - 1 pm and 3 pm - 6 pm at UN Headquarters during the UN General Assembly High-Level week.

The meeting will follow the UN HLM on Tuberculosis, which will take place on 26 Sept. The HLM on NCDs will consist of an opening segment, a plenary segment for general discussion, two multi-stakeholder panels and a brief closing segment.

NCDA is pleased to see that the final draft modalities resolution includes many of our key advocacy asks, including a date during the UNGA High-Level week, an interactive civil society hearing and an action-oriented outcome document.

This will be the third UN HLM on NCDs but the first opportunity to review NCDs within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The HLM is an important rallying point to focus the attention of Heads of State and Government on the urgent need to address NCDs as a development and political priority.

NCDA is pleased to see that the final draft modalities resolution includes many of our key advocacy asks, including a date during the UNGA High-Level week, an interactive civil society hearing and an action-oriented outcome document.

The draft modalities resolution sets out the overall theme of the UN HLM: Scaling up multi-stakeholder and multisectoral responses to the prevention and control of NCDs, in the context of the 2030 Agenda.

The HLM’s opening segment will feature statements from the President of the General Assembly, the UN Secretary General, the WHO Director General, a member of the WHO Independent High-Level Commission on NCDs, and an eminent champion in the fight against NCDs.

The two multi-stakeholder panels will be held from 11 am - 1 pm and 3 - 5 pm, in parallel with the plenary segment, and will address the following themes:

• Strengthening health systems and financing for the prevention and control of NCDs, on each country's path towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, including through sharing evidence-based best practices, scientific knowledge and lessons learned;
• Opportunities and challenges in engaging governments, civil society and the private sector at the global, regional and national levels to promote multisectoral partnerships for the prevention and control of NCDs, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Member States also request the President of the General Assembly, with the support of WHO, to convene an interactive hearing, before the end of July 2018, with active participation of Member States, observers of the General Assembly; parliamentarians, local government representatives, relevant United Nations entities, non-governmental organisations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council; invited civil society organisations; philanthropic foundations, academia, medical associations, and the private sector.

Finally, the modalities resolution agrees that the HLM will approve a concise and action-oriented outcome document that builds on the opportunities and challenges on the implementation of previous commitments, agreed in advance by consensus through intergovernmental negotiations. These negotiations will likely take place May - July in New York.

More information regarding participation in the interactive hearing and the UN HLM on NCDs will be available in the coming weeks.