Exactly one week from now, on September 26, 2024, the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (UN HLM on AMR) will be held in New York. This event has an important strategic importance for the entire field of fight against TB,as tuberculosis is considered a main factor of the "silent" epidemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
As a result of the UN HLM on AMR, representatives of the UN member states will
consider and adopt the corresponding Political Declaration. This international
document for the next 5 years will become a reference at the national, regional
and global levels for all stakeholders the field of fight against
drug-resistant infections.
In this regard, the TB Europe Coalition іn partnership with representatives of CSOs and
communities, NTPs and country missions to the UN, from May to September has
been conducting extensive advocacy work in the region. This effort was aimed at
incorporating Key TB Asks into the text of the Political Declaration on AMR and
into the public statements of official delegation members at the UN HLM on AMR.
This advocacy activity was initiated and fully supported by the Stop TB
Partnership.
As part of the advocacy campaign leading up to the UN HLM on AMR, face-to-face
meetings were held with representatives of country missions to the UN from the
WHO European region, including Norway, France, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Denmark,
and Poland. Additionally, official letters were prepared and sent to countries
in the EECA region:
• From NTPs to Ministries of Foreign Affairs and country missions to the UN,
stressing the importance of including Key TB Asks in the Political Declaration
on AMR;
• From NGOs and communities to Ministries of Health, advocating for the
inclusion of civil society representatives in national delegations at the UN
HLM on AMR;
• From NGOs and communities to Heads of State and Government, emphasizing the
importance of participation in the UN HLM on AMR;
• From the TB Europe Coalition to Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of
Health, and country missions to the UN, requesting the inclusion of Key TB Asks
in the official statements of national delegations during the plenary session
and panel discussions at the UN HLM on AMR.
To conclude the advocacy campaign ahead of the UN HLM on AMR, the TB Europe
Coalition, with the support of the Stop TB Partnership, held a Regional online
meeting “Joining TB Community Efforts Against Antimicrobial Resistance”. During
the event, participants learned about global civil society achievements in
integrating Key TB Asks into the draft Political Declaration on AMR and related
events for NGOs and communities leading up to the UN HLM. They also discussed
expectations for the event with the regional TB community representative and
potential key points for an official statement.
TBEC thanks all partners for their active engagement in the advocacy process
leading up to the UN HLM on AMR! We look forward to the adoption of the
Political Declaration on AMR with the inclusion of Key TB Asks and are
preparing for future advocacy for their implementation in countries and the
region!
