Update from the UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism

The UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism has been highly active in recent months, engaging with a range of events and process to promote UHC. It warmly welcomes 11 new Advisory Group members and looks forward to their engagement. Other activities included a webinar on how civil society can take forward the outcomes of the UN High-Level Meeting on UHC and planning for increased civil society advocacy for UHC in 2020.

Post-HLM Civil Society Webinar
Following the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage on 23 September 2019 in New York, the CSEM hosted the "Post-HLM Civil Society Webinar: Taking the UN HLM on UHC Forward" on October 31. The webinar facilitated dialogue on how best civil society can take forward the outcomes from the high-level meeting at the country level. Download the presentation and find a recording of the robust discussion here.

Recruitment of New CSEM Advisory Group Members
Following the publication of an open call for nominations in English, French, and Spanish, the CSEM recruited a total of 11 new CSEM Advisory Group Members. The new members include a Civil Society Alternate Representative to the UHC2030 Steering Committee. Within the Advisory Group members, the CSEM seeks to represent a balance of gender, expertise, representatives from populations often left behind, world regions, technical focus areas, connections to other CSO networks/mobilizing bodies, and types of organizations. Learn more.

Engage Civil Society and Communities to #KeepthePromise
In a UHC Day blog published on the World Bank - Investing in Health platform, Refiloe Mabejane, Khuat Thi Hai Oanh, and Ariana Childs Graham of the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM) highlight the findings of the CSEM commentary on the Primary Health Care on the Road to Universal Health Coverage 2019 Monitoring Report. They write that to effectively advocate for leaders to "Keep the Promise," we must explore how the promise has been broken. Read the blog.

CSEM Advisory Group Meeting
From December 8-9, 2019, CSEM Advisory Group members met in Brussels, Belgium to prepare for the UHC2030 Steering Committee meeting on 10-11 December. The agenda also included strategizing on upcoming opportunities for engagement and advocacy, reviewing strategies, and planning for 2020. Advisory group members who also serve on the external Accountability, Advocacy, Knowledge Exchange, Private Sector, and the Fragile States Technical Working Groups reported on progress in those groups. Internal Technical Working groups within the advisory group met to discuss governance, expansion, and communications and strategize on the way forward. The two-day meeting concluded with an update session with the UHC2030 Core Team.

CSEM participated in the Thai National Health Assembly
CSEM Advisory Group member Khuat Thi Hai Oanh was a keynote speaker during the National Health Assembly (NHA) of Thailand, organized annually. The NHA is a platform where Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) interface with government and academia to dialogue on public policy. The two-day assembly is an opportunity for CSOs and NGOs to propose resolutions to the National Health Commission, chaired by Prime Minister. The 12^th National Health Assembly (NHA12), held on December 18-20, 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand, focused on specific issues such as asbestos, gender equality, cancer and drug use with emphasis on a community-centered approach. Speaking on the topic of “Keeping with the disrupted world for sustainable development,” Dr. Khuat presented CSEM key messages and recommendations made in the CSEM commentary on global UHC monitoring.

New in the CSEM e-Library
The CSEM Advisory Group finalized the CSEM Governance Charter, which outlines critical CSEM governance information, including structure, duties, and responsibilities. The CSEM Secretariat shared the CSEM Highlights 2018-2019, a brief report on the CSEM's growth, achievements, and impact over the past year.