Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) is pleased to announce that Mr. Joji Sugawara, Vice President of HGPI, has been appointed as a member of the Advisory Group of the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM). His term will run for three years, from November 2025 to October 2028.

UHC2030 is a global, multi-stakeholder partnership that aims to accelerate equitable and sustainable progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and broader health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), UHC2030 brings together governments, international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders to strengthen health systems and promote coordinated, accountable action.

Within this partnership, the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM) serves as the official civil society constituency, ensuring that civil society perspectives are meaningfully integrated into UHC2030’s policy dialogue and activities. The CSEM seeks to place civil society voices at the center of policy design and implementation for UHC and Health Systems Strengthening (HSS). Guided by the principle of Leaving No One Behind, it works to ensure that the perspectives of marginalized and vulnerable populations are systematically reflected in UHC policies at national, regional, and global levels.

The CSEM Advisory Group functions as the core body for civil society representation within UHC2030, linking national and global processes and acting as a strategic and technical hub. Composed of 18 members, the Advisory Group is responsible for:

• Regular consultation with national civil society organization (CSO) representatives and constituencies
• Providing input and feedback on UHC2030 policies and guidelines
• Contributing to UHC2030 working groups to elevate civil society voices
• Strengthening the capacity of national-level CSOs to engage in health policy processes
• Promoting coordination with other global health initiatives

Members of the Advisory Group serve on a voluntary basis without financial compensation, with attention to balanced representation across regions, areas of expertise, gender, organizational types, and populations often left behind.

Mr. Sugawara has long worked at the intersection of civil society, public policy, and global health governance, supporting dialogue between domestic stakeholders and international platforms. Through his role on the CSEM Advisory Group, he will contribute to strengthening national-to-global linkages, amplifying civil society perspectives from Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, and ensuring that global UHC discussions inform policy and practice in Japan.

HGPI will continue to actively contribute to international health policy development toward the achievement of Universal Health Coverage, working alongside civil society from an independent, non-partisan, and evidence-based standpoint. Mr. Sugawara’s appointment to the CSEM Advisory Group forms part of this ongoing commitment, and HGPI will continue to play an active role in bridging Japan and the global community.

For further details, please see here (English).

CSEM Advisory Group Members (2025–2028)

• Zahedul Islam (Alliance for Public Health)
• Eliana Monteforte (Global Health Council)
• Christian Alberto Acosta Ruiz (Corporación Kimirina)
• Harjyot Khosa (International Planned Parenthood Federation)
• Alhadi Osman (Save the Children UK)
• Mar Lucas Gómez (Fundación Huésped)
• Danjuma Adda (Centre for Initiative and Development (CFID), Nigeria)
• Flore Ganon (Action contre la Faim, France)
• Ali Hasnain (United for Global Mental Health)
• Neena Joshi (The George Institute for Global Health)
• Anna Koshikova (Eurasian Movement for the Right to Health in Prisons)
• Kirsten Mathieson (Transform Health)
• SM Shaikat (SERAC-Bangladesh)
• Ferdinant M. Sonyuy (Reconciliation and Development Association (RADA))
• Rispah Walumbe (Amref Health Africa)
• Susan Wambui (The Community Advocacy Initiative Kenya (CAIK))
• Joji Sugawara (Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), Japan)