Briefing Session 2: Get ready for the 2023 multi-stakeholder hearing on health (substance & preparation)

Date: March 30, 2023

Duration: 15:00-16:00 (CEST)/9:00-10:00 (EDT) 1 hour

Registration: https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pUYK3cfrTtql5Rz2bfvG8Q

The Coalition of Partnerships for UHC and Global Health held a second briefing session on March 30, 2023, ahead of the multi-stakeholder hearing for the health-related United Nations High-Level Meetings (UN HLM). This second session focused on the substance and preparation for multi-stakeholder dialogue during the hearing.

Summary

On March 30, 2023, The Coalition of Partnerships for UHC and Global Health (Coalition) held the second virtual briefing session on the multi-stakeholder hearings on health, which will take place on 8-9 May, 2023 in New York, ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meetings (UN HLM).

The session was moderated by H.E. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73^rd Session of the UN General Assembly, and included opening remarks from Ms. Helga Fogstad, Executive Director, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Coalition Principal Group member and closing remarks by Dr. Svetlana Akselrod, Director, Global NCD Platform and Coalition Principal Group member. Both speakers urged all stakeholders to unite behind the Action Agenda, as it provides a clear and actionable pathway to achieve health for all and articulates critical aspects which cannot be neglected. They highlighted the need for all stakeholders to collaborate and work together to place health back on the highest political agenda, and they shared the Coalition of Partnerships on UHC and Global Health’s most recent publication in the Lancet Global Health titled, Getting Health Back on the Highest Political Agenda – the UN High-Level Meetings on health in 2023.

Dr. Justin Koonin, Co-chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee and Coalition Principal Group Member and Ms. Laetitia Bosio from the UHC2030 Secretariat presented the Action Agenda, which was published on March 27, 2023. Dr. Akihito Watabe provided process-related update on the multi-stakeholder hearings. Dr. Suvanand Sahu, Deputy Executive Director, Stop TB Partnership shared insights on the Key Asks from Stop TB Partnership. Ms. Hannah Monica Diaz, Crosscutting Lead-Multisectoral Accountability, #EndTB Initiative, WHO and Mr. Werner Heinrich Obermeyer, Director, WHO Office at the United Nations provided updates on universal health coverage, tuberculosis, and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response hearing preparations from the World Health Organization (WHO). They also provided details on the processes they are taking to prepare for both the hearing and the high-level meetings at the United Nations General Assembly.

You can register for the multi-stakeholder hearings on health here. The deadline to register is April 7.

The Hearings will bring together representatives of the Member States, observers of the General Assembly, parliamentarians, representatives of local government, relevant UN entities, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, academia, professional associations and the private sector and broader communities. This includes ensuring the participation and voices of women, children, youth and indigenous leadership. The Hearings will be live-streamed.

Background:

The United Nations President of the General Assembly will convene multi-stakeholder hearings as part of the preparatory process of the health-related UN HLMs during the UN General Assembly in September 2023. The hearings aim to engage the active participation of “appropriate senior-level representatives of Member States, observers of the Assembly, parliamentarians, representatives of local government, relevant UN entities, non-governmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, academia, medical associations, the private sector and broad communities, ensuring the participation and voices of women, children, youth, and indigenous leadership” as part of the preparatory process. Participants will be encouraged to exchange views on key priorities to raise with Heads of State, while underscoring experiences and best practices on the ground, highlighting the special challenges faced by civil society organizations, private sector and other stakeholders.

About the Coalition:

The health-related UN HLMs and the SDG Summit in 2023 will be a significant opportunity for Heads of State to reaffirm their commitment to UHC and to recognize the role of UHC as an overarching umbrella for SDG3: good health and well-being. Recognizing the need for greater collaboration and harmonization across health stakeholders and programmes, the Coalition unites health leaders and advocates in a common goal to align advocacy and accountability efforts to achieve UHC and advance the SDGs.