On April 30, 2019, the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well Being (GAP) Civil Society Advisory Group held a civil society consultation in New York City to 1) share perspectives and updates on the GAP, 2) leverage diverse perspectives and experiences to generate creative solutions to contribute to three GAP accelerators, and 3) strategize on meaningful civil society and community engagement in achieving the health-related SDGs. Participants expressed the need for civil society platforms at the country level and for civil society, communities and non-state actors to be consulted further in GAP development and implementation.
Following that session, the GAP Civil Society Advisory Group resolved to write a letter to the heads of the 12 signatory agencies to the Global Action Plan. The aims of the letter were to reaffirm the commitment of civil society, communities and other non-state actors to the GAP. The Advisory Group requested an opportunity for these groups to provide feedback on the draft plan before it is released during the United Nations General Assembly in September. The Advisory Group further requested more involvement of civil society in early planning discussions around accountability and implementation of the plan.
The group received a response from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyseus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, on behalf of the twelve GAP signatory agencies. The letter acknowledges the critical role of community and civil society input into the plan. Dr. Tedros affirmed WHO’s openness to additional input from civil society on the draft plan, as well as the potential for further discussions on GAP implementation, accountability and advocacy. Read the letter here.
For more information on the GAP Civil Society Advisory Group, keep an eye on their page.
