In preparation for the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health, scheduled for September 2025, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) has released urgent recommendations titled “Japan’s Role in Exercising Political Leadership to Advance NCD Control by Promoting SSB Taxation”

These recommendations were issued in response to the Japanese government’s opposition to including a taxation clause on sugar-sweetened beverages in the political declaration. Concerns are expressed that such a stance may contradict Japan’s longstanding contributions in the field of global health and calls on the government to demonstrate international leadership as a nation advanced in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

This proposal was compiled by HGPI in its capacity as the Japan Secretariat of the NCD Alliance, an international civil society network, and as a member of the WHO Civil Society Commission, a formal platform for civil society engagement within the World Health Organization (WHO).

For more information, please find the PDF document at the bottom.