In preparation for Fourth High-Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Promotion of Mental Health and Wellbeing (HLM4) at the UN General Assembly scheduled to take place in September 2025, HGPI as a member of the WHO Civil Society Working Group (CSWG), the WHO’s official civil society input aggregating body, made “Joint Recommendations to the Zero Draft Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health” in June 2025.

These recommendations have now been published since the 1st of July in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) under the title ‘The United Nations political declaration on non-communicable diseases and mental health needs a just and action-driven approach’.

NCDs and mental health are responsible for more than 43 million deaths a year worldwide and need to be addressed decisively and sustainably from a global perspective. The main pillars of this Zero Draft HLM4 Political Declaration are the promotion of concrete actions such as the creation of healthy environments, primary health care, sustainable financing and governance, and the development of data and monitoring systems. In contrast, the recommendations call for ensuring that civil society voices are reflected in the health policy-making process, with the aim of promoting international policy engagement and action. Thus, this calls for Japan to exercise leadership and innovation in tackling these global issues.

The WHO CSWG comprises approximately 30 organizations, with HGPI being the sole participant from Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. HGPI will continue to promote multi-sectoral collaboration among government, academia, and civil society both domestically and internationally, and will work to advance evidence-based, citizen-centered healthcare policies to enable Japan to play a leading role in the international community and contribute to addressing the issues regarding NCDs and mental health by encouraging equity-based, integrated and action-focused outcomes.

Further information available here.