As we look forward to the United Nations fourth High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), ISPAH, as part of the WHO Civil Society Working Group on NCDs, is keeping abreast of the action. 

The WHO Civil Society Working Group on NCDs is an informal network of NCD related civil society organisations, established in 2017 to provide recommendations to the WHO Director-General on key milestones in the global NCD agenda. ISPAH joined the group in 2024 and is the only member with a sole physical activity remit.  

The High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, which is taking place in September, will culminate in a new political declaration aiming to accelerate global prevention and control efforts towards 2030 and 2050. A ‘zero’ draft of the political declaration is currently available for consultation with member states. The Civil Society Working Group on NCDs has reviewed the zero draft and concluded that the political declaration must go further if it is to confront the urgency, scale of action, and accountability needed to stem the rising burden of NCDs and mental health conditions. 

The Civil Society Working Group has this week published a brief overview of its reflections and recommendations in a BMJ Opinion.

As negotiations progress, ISPAH will continue to provide timely updates to the physical activity community, so watch this space….