Statement by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO)
IDLO thanks the Director General for his report on the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases and commends the World Health Organization for its efforts to assist Member States to scale up national responses to NCD prevention and control towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal targets.
As a founding member of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Noncommunicable Diseases , IDLO has been working since 2014 with WHO and other partners to strengthen countries’ capacities to prevent and control NCDs through effective legal and policy measures. Over the years, building on its mandate to promote the rule of law to achieve peace and sustainable development, IDLO has advocated for the importance of the law to prevent and control NCDs.
As we prepare for the Fourth High-level Meeting next year, IDLO would like to call this Assembly’s attention to the need for investing in an enabling environment to create the conditions for sustaining countries’ commitments and action to achieve NCD targets. Building on IDLO’s experience working with LMICs, IDLO notes that an integrated approach with three key elements can help sustain change over time.
1. Capacity building – Enhance the capacity of national actors at all levels to understand, develop, support, implement and monitor policy and regulatory measures, in line with international standards and national priorities.
2. Social mobilization – Actively engage with civil society organizations, communities, people living with NCDs and academia to ensure meaningful participation and engagement in the design, development and implementation of policies.
3. Research – Provide technical and financial support to promote locally-generated data to support evidence-based policies.