A/66/L.1

United Nations

General AssemblyDistr.: Limited
16 September 2011
Original: English

Sixty-sixth session
Agenda item 117
Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit
Draft resolution submitted by the President of the General Assembly

Political declaration of the High-level Meeting of theGeneral Assembly on the Prevention and Control of
Non-communicable Diseases
The General Assembly,
Adopts the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General
Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases annexed tothe present resolution.

Annex
Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of theGeneral Assembly on the Prevention and Control of
Non-communicable Diseases
We, Heads of State and Government and representatives of States andGovernments, assembled at the United Nations from 19 to 20 September 2011, toaddress the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases worldwide, with aparticular focus on developmental and other challenges and social and economic
impacts, particularly for developing countries,
1.
Acknowledge that the global burden and threat of non-communicable diseases
constitutes one of the major challenges for development in the twenty-first century,
which undermines social and economic development throughout the world, andthreatens the achievement of internationally agreed development goals;
2.
Recognize that non-communicable diseases are a threat to the economies ofmany Member States, and may lead to increasing inequalities between countries andpopulations;
3.
Recognize the primary role and responsibility of Governments in responding
to the challenge of non-communicable diseases and the essential need for the efforts
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and engagement of all sectors of society to generate effective responses for theprevention and control of non-communicable diseases;
4.
Recognize also the important role of the international community andinternational cooperation in assisting Member States, particularly developing
countries, in complementing national efforts to generate an effective response to
non-communicable diseases;
5.
Reaffirm the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable
standard of physical and mental health;6.
Recognize the urgent need for greater measures at global, regional and national
levels to prevent and control non-communicable diseases in order to contribute to
the full realization of the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard ofphysical and mental health;7.
Recall the relevant mandates of the United Nations General Assembly, inparticular resolutions 64/265 and 65/238;
8.
Note with appreciation the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control, reaffirm all relevant resolutions and decisions
adopted by the World Health Assembly on the prevention and control of
non-communicable diseases, and underline the importance for Member States tocontinue addressing common risk factors for non-communicable diseases throughthe implementation of the 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for thePrevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases as well as the Global
Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, and the Global Strategy to Reduce
the Harmful Use of Alcohol;
9.
Recall the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the 2009 high-level segment of
the United Nations Economic and Social Council, which called for urgent action to
implement the WHO Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of
Non-communicable Diseases and its related action plan;
10. Take note with appreciation of all the regional initiatives undertaken on theprevention and control of non-communicable diseases, including the Declaration of
the Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community entitled “Uniting
to stop the epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases”, adopted in September
2007; the Libreville Declaration on Health and Environment in Africa, adopted inAugust 2008; the statement of the Commonwealth Heads of Government on action
to combat non-communicable diseases, adopted in November 2009; the outcome
declaration of the Fifth Summit of the Americas adopted in June 2009; the Parma
Declaration on Environment and Health, adopted by the Member States in theEuropean Region of WHO in March 2010; the Dubai Declaration on Diabetes andChronic Non-communicable Diseases in the Middle East and Northern Africa
Region, adopted in December 2010, the European Charter on Counteracting Obesity,
adopted in November 2006, the Aruban Call for Action on Obesity of June 2011,
and the Honiara Communiqué on addressing non-communicable disease challenges
in the Pacific region, adopted in July 2011;
11. Take note also with appreciation of the outcomes of the regional multisectoral
consultations, including the adoption of Ministerial Declarations, which were heldby the World Health Organization in collaboration with Member States, with thesupport and active participation of regional commissions and other relevant United2

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Nations agencies and entities, and served to provide inputs to the preparations forthe high-level meeting in accordance with resolution 65/238;
12. Welcome the convening of the First Global Ministerial Conference on HealthyLifestyles and Non-communicable Disease Control, which was organized by the
Russian Federation and WHO and held on 28 and 29 April 2011, in Moscow, and theadoption of the Moscow Declaration, and recall resolution 64/11 of the World
Health Assembly;
13. Recognize the leading role of the World Health Organization as the primary
specialized agency for health, including its roles and functions with regard to healthpolicy in accordance with its mandate, and reaffirm its leadership and coordinationrole in promoting and monitoring global action against non-communicable diseases
in relation to the work of other relevant United Nations agencies, developmentbanks, and other regional and international organizations in addressing
non-communicable diseases in a coordinated manner;
A challenge of epidemic proportions and its socio-economic anddevelopmental impacts
14. Note with profound concern that, according to WHO, in 2008, an estimated
36 million of the 57 million global deaths were due to non-communicable diseases,
principally cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases anddiabetes, including about 9 million before the age of 60, and that nearly 80 per centof those deaths occurred in developing countries;
15. Note also with profound concern that non-communicable diseases are among
the leading causes of preventable morbidity and of related disability;
16. Recognize further that communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal
conditions and nutritional deficiencies are currently the most common causes ofdeath in Africa, and note with concern the growing double burden of disease,including in Africa, caused by the rapidly rising incidence of non-communicablediseases, which are projected to become the most common causes of death by 2030;
17. Note further that there is a range of other non-communicable diseases andconditions, for which the risk factors and the need for preventive measures,
screening, treatment and care are linked with the four most prominent
non-communicable diseases;
18. Recognize that mental and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s
disease, are an important cause of morbidity and contribute to the global
non-communicable disease burden, for which there is a need to provide equitable
access to effective programmes and health-care interventions;
19. Recognize that renal, oral and eye diseases pose a major health burden formany countries and that these diseases share common risk factors and can benefit
from common responses to non-communicable diseases;
20. Recognize that the most prominent non-communicable diseases are linked tocommon risk factors, namely tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, an unhealthy diet,and lack of physical activity;
21. Recognize that the conditions in which people live and their lifestyles
influence their health and quality of life, and that poverty, uneven distribution of

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wealth, lack of education, rapid urbanization and population ageing, and theeconomic social, gender, political, behavioural and environmental determinants ofhealth are among the contributing factors to the rising incidence and prevalence of
non-communicable diseases;
22. Note with grave concern the vicious cycle whereby non-communicablediseases and their risk factors worsen poverty, while poverty contributes to risingrates of non-communicable diseases, posing a threat to public health and economic
and social development;
23. Note with concern that the rapidly growing magnitude of non-communicablediseases affects people of all ages, gender, race and income levels, and further thatpoor populations and those living in vulnerable situations, in particular indeveloping countries bear a disproportionate burden and that non-communicablediseases can affect women and men differently;
24. Note with concern the rising levels of obesity in different regions, particularly
among children and youth, and note that obesity, an unhealthy diet and physicalinactivity have strong linkages with the four main non-communicable diseases, andare associated with higher health costs and reduced productivity;
25. Express deep concern that women bear a disproportionate share of the burdenof care-giving and that, in some populations, women tend to be less physically
active than men, are more likely to be obese and are taking up smoking at alarming
rates;
26. Note also with concern that maternal and child health is inextricably linked
with non-communicable diseases and their risk factors, specifically as prenatal
malnutrition and low birth weight create a predisposition to obesity, high bloodpressure, heart disease and diabetes later in life; and that pregnancy conditions, suchas maternal obesity and gestational diabetes, are associated with similar risks inboth the mother and her offspring;
27. Note with concern the possible linkages between non-communicable diseases
and some communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, and call to integrate, as
appropriate, responses for HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases and, in thisregard, for attention to be given to people living with HIV/AIDS, especially incountries with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and in accordance with national
priorities;
28. Recognize that smoke exposure from the use of inefficient cooking stoves forindoor cooking or heating contributes to and may exacerbate lung and respiratory
conditions, with a disproportionate effect on women and children in poor
populations whose households may be dependant on such fuels;
29. Acknowledge also the existence of significant inequalities in the burden of
non-communicable diseases and in access to non-communicable disease prevention
and control, both between countries, and within countries and communities;
30. Recognize the critical importance of strengthening health systems, including
health-care infrastructure, human resources for health, health and social protection
systems, particularly in developing countries in order to respond effectively andequitably to the health-care needs of people with non-communicable diseases;

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31. Note with grave concern that non-communicable diseases and their risk factors
lead to increased burdens on individuals, families and communities, including
impoverishment from long-term treatment and care costs, and to a loss of
productivity that threatens household income and leads to productivity loss forindividuals and their families and to the economies of Member States, making
non-communicable diseases a contributing factor to poverty and hunger, which may
have a direct impact on the achievement of the internationally agreed development
goals, including the Millennium Development Goals;
32. Express deep concern at the ongoing negative impacts of the financial andeconomic crisis, volatile energy and food prices and ongoing concerns over foodsecurity, as well as the increasing challenges posed by climate change and the lossof biodiversity, and their effect on the control and prevention of non-communicablediseases, and emphasize, in this regard, the need for prompt and robust, coordinatedand multisectoral efforts to address those impacts, while building on efforts alreadyunder way;
Responding to the challenge: a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society effort
33. Recognize that the rising prevalence, morbidity and mortality of
non-communicable diseases worldwide can be largely prevented and controlled
through collective and multisectoral action by all Member States and other relevant
stakeholders at local, national, regional, and global levels, and by raising thepriority accorded to non-communicable diseases in development cooperation byenhancing such cooperation in this regard;
34. Recognize that prevention must be the cornerstone of the global response to
non-communicable diseases;
35. Recognize also the critical importance of reducing the level of exposure ofindividuals and populations to the common modifiable risk factors for
non-communicable diseases, namely, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physicalinactivity, and the harmful use of alcohol, and their determinants, while at the sametime strengthening the capacity of individuals and populations to make healthierchoices and follow lifestyle patterns that foster good health;
36. Recognize that effective non-communicable disease prevention and control
require leadership and multisectoral approaches for health at the government level,
including, as appropriate, health in all policies and whole-of-government
approaches across such sectors as health, education, energy, agriculture, sports,
transport, communication, urban planning, environment, labour, employment,
industry and trade, finance and social and economic development;
37. Acknowledge the contribution and important role played by all relevant
stakeholders, including individuals, families, and communities, intergovernmentalorganizations and religious institutions, civil society, academia, media, voluntary
associations, and, where and as appropriate, the private sector and industry, in
support of national efforts for non-communicable disease prevention and control,
and recognize the need to further support the strengthening of coordination among
these stakeholders in order to improve effectiveness of these efforts;
38. Recognize the fundamental conflict of interest between the tobacco industry
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39. Recognize that the incidence and impacts of non-communicable diseases canbe largely prevented or reduced with an approach that incorporates evidence-based,affordable, cost-effective, population-wide and multisectoral interventions;40. Acknowledge that resources devoted to combating the challenges posed by
non-communicable diseases at the national, regional and international levels are notcommensurate with the magnitude of the problem;
41. Recognize the importance of strengthening local, provincial, national andregional capacities to address and effectively combat non-communicable diseases,
particularly in developing countries, and that this may entail increased and sustained
human, financial and technical resources;
42. Acknowledge the need to put forward a multisectoral approach for health at all
government levels, to address non-communicable disease risk factors andunderlying determinants of health comprehensively and decisively;
Non-communicable diseases can be prevented and their impacts significantly
reduced, with millions of lives saved and untold suffering avoided. We therefore
commit to:
Reduce risk factors and create health-promoting environments
43. Advance the implementation of multisectoral, cost-effective, population-wide
interventions in order to reduce the impact of the common non-communicabledisease risk factors, namely tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity andharmful use of alcohol, through the implementation of relevant international
agreements and strategies, and education, legislative, regulatory and fiscal
measures, without prejudice to the right of sovereign Nations to determine andestablish their taxation policies, other policies, where appropriate, by involving all
relevant sectors, civil society and communities as appropriate and by taking thefollowing actions:(a) Encourage the development of multisectoral public policies that create
equitable health-promoting environments that empower individuals, families andcommunities to make healthy choices and lead healthy lives;(b) Develop, strengthen and implement, as appropriate, multisectoral public
policies and action plans to promote health education and health literacy, including
through evidence-based education and information strategies and programmes inand out of schools, and through public awareness campaigns, as important factors infurthering the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, recognizingthat a strong focus on health literacy is at an early stage in many countries;(c) Accelerate implementation by States parties of the WHO Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control, recognizing the full range of measures, including
measures to reduce consumption and availability, and encourage countries that have
not yet done so to consider acceding to the Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control, recognizing that substantially reducing tobacco consumption is an
important contribution to reducing non-communicable diseases and can haveconsiderable health benefits for individuals and countries, and that price and tax
measures are an effective and important means of reducing tobacco consumption;(d) Advance the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health, including, where appropriate, through the introduction

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of policies and actions aimed at promoting healthy diets and increasing physicalactivity in the entire population, including in all aspects of daily living, such as
giving priority to regular and intense physical education classes in schools; urban
planning and re-engineering for active transport; the provision of incentives forwork-site healthy-lifestyle programmes; and increased availability of safe
environments in public parks and recreational spaces to encourage physical activity;(e) Promote the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy to Reduce theHarmful Use of Alcohol, while recognizing the need to develop appropriate
domestic action plans, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, for developing
specific policies and programmes, including taking into account the full range ofoptions as identified in the global strategy, as well as raise awareness of the
problems caused by the harmful use of alcohol, particularly among young people,
and call upon WHO to intensify efforts to assist Member States in this regard;(f) Promote the implementation of the WHO Set of recommendations on themarketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children, including foods that arehigh in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt, recognizing that researchshows that food advertising to children is extensive, that a significant amount of themarketing is for foods with a high content of fat, sugar or salt and that television
advertising influences children’s food preferences, purchase requests andconsumption patterns, while taking into account the existing legislation and national
policies, as appropriate;(g) Promote the development and initiate the implementation, as appropriate,of cost-effective interventions to reduce salt, sugar and saturated fats, and eliminate
industrially produced trans-fats in foods, including through discouraging the
production and marketing of foods that contribute to unhealthy diet, while taking
into account existing legislation and policies;(h) Encourage policies that support the production and manufacture of, andfacilitate access to, foods that contribute to healthy diet, and provide greater
opportunities for utilization of healthy local agricultural products and foods, thus
contributing to efforts to cope with the challenges and take advantage of theopportunities posed by globalization and to achieve food security;(i) Promote, protect and support breastfeeding, including exclusive
breastfeeding for about six months from birth, as appropriate, as breastfeeding
reduces susceptibility to infections and the risk of undernutrition, promotes infant
and young children’s growth and development and helps to reduce the risk ofdeveloping conditions such as obesity and non-communicable diseases later in life,
and, in this regard, strengthen the implementation of the international code ofmarketing of breast milk substitutes and subsequent relevant World Health
Assembly resolutions;(j) Promote increased access to cost-effective vaccinations to prevent
infections associated with cancers, as part of national immunization schedules;(k) Promote increased access to cost-effective cancer-screening programmes
as determined by national situations;(l) Scale up, where appropriate, a package of proven effective interventions,such as health promotion and primary prevention approaches, and galvanize actions

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for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases through a meaningful
multisectoral response, addressing risk factors and determinants of health;
44. With a view to strengthening its contribution to non-communicable disease
prevention and control, call upon the private sector, where appropriate, to:(a) Take measures to implement the WHO set of recommendations to reducethe impact of the marketing of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages tochildren, while taking into account existing national legislation and policies;(b) Consider producing and promoting more food products consistent with ahealthy diet, including by reformulating products to provide healthier options thatare affordable and accessible and that follow relevant nutrition facts and labellingstandards, including information on sugars, salt and fats and, where appropriate,trans-fat content;(c) Promote and create an enabling environment for healthy behaviours
among workers, including by establishing tobacco-free workplaces and safe andhealthy working environments through occupational safety and health measures,
including, where appropriate, through good corporate practices, workplace wellness
programmes and health insurance plans;(d) Work towards reducing the use of salt in the food industry in order tolower sodium consumption;(e) Contribute to efforts to improve access and affordability for medicines
and technologies in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases;
Strengthen national policies and health systems
45. Promote, establish or support and strengthen, by 2013, as appropriate,
multisectoral national policies and plans for the prevention and control of
non-communicable diseases, taking into account, as appropriate, the 2008-2013
WHO Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of
Non-communicable Diseases, and the objectives contained therein and take steps to
implement such policies and plans;(a) Strengthen and integrate, as appropriate, non-communicable disease
policies and programmes into health-planning processes and the national
development agenda of each Member State;(b) Pursue, as appropriate, comprehensive strengthening of health systems
that support primary health care, deliver effective, sustainable and coordinatedresponses and evidence-based, cost-effective, equitable and integrated essential
services for addressing non-communicable disease risk factors and for theprevention, treatment and care of non-communicable diseases, acknowledging theimportance of promoting patient empowerment, rehabilitation and palliative care for
persons with non-communicable diseases, and a life course approach, given theoften chronic nature of non-communicable diseases;(c) According to national priorities, and taking into account domestic
circumstances, increase and prioritize budgetary allocations for addressing
non-communicable disease risk factors and for surveillance, prevention, early
detection, and treatment of non-communicable diseases, and the related care andsupport including palliative care;811-49777

A/66/L.1(d) Explore the provision of adequate, predictable and sustained resources,
through domestic, bilateral, regional and multilateral channels, including traditionaland voluntary innovative financing mechanisms;(e) Pursue and promote gender-based approaches for the prevention andcontrol of non-communicable diseases founded on data disaggregated by sex andage in an effort to address the critical differences in the risks of morbidity andmortality from non-communicable diseases for women and men;(f) Promote multisectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement in order toreverse, stop and decrease the rising trends of obesity in child, youth and adult
populations respectively;(g) Recognize where health disparities exist between indigenous peoples andnon-indigenous populations in the incidence of non-communicable diseases, andtheir common risk factors, that these disparities are often linked to historical,
economic and social factors, encourage the involvement of indigenous peoples andcommunities in the development, implementation, and evaluation of
non-communicable disease prevention and control policies, plans and programmes,
where appropriate, while promoting the development and strengthening of capacities
at various levels and recognizing the cultural heritage and traditional knowledge ofindigenous peoples and respecting, preserving and promoting, as appropriate, theirtraditional medicine, including conservation of their vital medicinal plants, animals
and minerals;(h) Recognize further the potential and contribution of traditional and local
knowledge and in this regard, respect and preserve, in accordance with national
capacities, priorities, relevant legislation and circumstances, the knowledge and safeand effective use of traditional medicine, treatments and practices, appropriately
based on the circumstances in each country;(i) Pursue all necessary efforts to strengthen nationally driven, sustainable,
cost-effective and comprehensive responses in all sectors for the prevention of
non-communicable diseases, with the full and active participation of people livingwith these diseases, civil society and the private sector, where appropriate;(j) Promote the production, training and retention of health workers with aview to facilitating adequate deployment of a skilled health workforce withincountries and regions, in accordance with the World Health Organization Global
Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel;(k) Strengthen, as appropriate, information systems for health planning andmanagement, including through the collection, disaggregation, analysis,
interpretation, and dissemination of data and the development of population-based
national registries and surveys, where appropriate, to facilitate appropriate andtimely interventions for the entire population;(l) According to national priorities, give greater priority to surveillance,
early detection, screening, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases
and prevention and control, and to improving the accessibility to the safe,
affordable, effective and quality medicines and technologies to diagnose and to treat
them; provide sustainable access to medicines and technologies, including throughthe development and use of evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of
non-communicable diseases, and efficient procurement and distribution of

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medicines in countries; and strengthen viable financing options and promote the useof affordable medicines, including generics, as well as improved access topreventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative services, particularly at thecommunity level;(m) According to country-led prioritization, ensure the scaling-up ofeffective, evidence-based and cost-effective interventions that demonstrate thepotential to treat individuals with non-communicable diseases, protect those at highrisk of developing them and reduce risk across populations;(n) Recognize the importance of universal coverage in national healthsystems, especially through primary health-care and social protection mechanisms,
to provide access to health services for all, in particular, for the poorest segments ofthe population;(o) Promote the inclusion of non-communicable disease prevention andcontrol within sexual and reproductive health and maternal and child-healthprogrammes, especially at the primary health-care level, as well as otherprogrammes, as appropriate, and also integrate interventions in these areas into
non-communicable disease prevention programmes;(p) Promote access to comprehensive and cost-effective prevention,
treatment and care for the integrated management of non-communicable diseases,
including, inter alia, increased access to affordable, safe, effective and quality
medicines and diagnostics and other technologies, including through the full use of
trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) flexibilities;(q) Improve diagnostic services, including by increasing the capacity of andaccess to laboratory and imaging services with adequate and skilled manpower todeliver such services, and collaborate with the private sector to improveaffordability, accessibility and maintenance of diagnostic equipment andtechnologies;(r) Encourage alliances and networks that bring together national, regionaland global actors, including academic and research institutes, for the developmentof new medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies, learning fromexperiences in the field of HIV/AIDS, among others, according to national priorities
and strategies;(s) Strengthen health-care infrastructure, including for procurement, storage
and distribution of medicine, in particular transportation and storage networks tofacilitate efficient service delivery;
International cooperation, including collaborative partnerships
46. Strengthen international cooperation in support of national, regional, andglobal plans for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, interalia, through the exchange of best practices in the areas of health promotion,
legislation, regulation and health systems strengthening, training of healthpersonnel, development of appropriate health-care infrastructure, diagnostics, andpromoting the development, dissemination of appropriate, affordable andsustainable transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms and the production ofaffordable, safe, effective and quality medicines and vaccines, while recognizing theleading role of WHO as the primary specialized agency for health in that regard;

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47. Acknowledge the contribution of aid targeted at the health sector, while
recognizing that much more needs to be done. We call for the fulfilment of all
official development assistance-related commitments, including the commitments
by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national
income for official development assistance by 2015, as well as the commitments
contained in the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries
for the Decade 2011-2020, and strongly urge those developed countries that have
not yet done so to make additional concrete efforts to fulfil their commitments;
48. Stress the importance of North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation,in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases to promote at national,
regional, and international levels an enabling environment to facilitate healthy
lifestyles and choices, bearing in mind that South-South cooperation is not a
substitute for, but rather a complement to, North-South cooperation;
49. Promote all possible means to identify and mobilize adequate, predictable andsustained financial resources and the necessary human and technical resources, andto consider support for voluntary, cost-effective, innovative approaches for a longterm financing of non-communicable disease prevention and control, taking into
account the Millennium Development Goals;
50. Acknowledge the contribution of international cooperation and assistance inthe prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and, in this regard,
encourage the continued inclusion of non-communicable diseases in development
cooperation agendas and initiatives;
51. Call upon WHO, as the lead United Nations specialized agency for health, andall other relevant United Nations system agencies, funds and programmes, theinternational financial institutions, development banks, and other key internationalorganizations to work together in a coordinated manner to support national efforts toprevent and control non-communicable diseases and mitigate their impacts;
52. Urge relevant international organizations to continue to provide technicalassistance and capacity-building to developing countries, especially to the least
developed countries, in the areas of non-communicable disease prevention andcontrol and promotion of access to medicines for all, including through the full useof trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights flexibilities and provisions;53. Enhance the quality of aid by strengthening national ownership, alignment,
harmonization, predictability, mutual accountability and transparency, and resultsorientation;
54. Engage non-health actors and key stakeholders, where appropriate, including
the private sector and civil society, in collaborative partnerships to promote healthand to reduce non-communicable disease risk factors, including through building
community capacity in promoting healthy diets and lifestyles;
55. Foster partnerships between Government and civil society, building on thecontribution of health-related NGOs and patients’ organizations, to support, as
appropriate, the provision of services for the prevention and control, treatment, care,including palliative care, of non-communicable diseases;
56. Promote the capacity-building of non-communicable disease-related NGOs at
the national and regional levels, in order to realize their full potential as partners in
the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases;

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Research and development
57. Promote actively national and international investments and strengthen
national capacity for quality research and development, for all aspects related to theprevention and control of non-communicable diseases in a sustainable andcost-effective manner, while noting the importance of continuing to incentivize
innovation;
58. Promote the use of information and communications technology to improve
programme implementation, health outcomes, health promotion, and reporting andsurveillance systems and to disseminate, as appropriate, information on affordable,
cost-effective, sustainable and quality interventions, best practices and lessons
learned in the field of non-communicable diseases;
59. Support and facilitate non-communicable disease-related research and its
translation to enhance the knowledge base for ongoing national, regional and global
action;Monitoring and evaluation
60. Strengthen, as appropriate, country-level surveillance and monitoring systems,
including surveys that are integrated into existing national health information
systems and include monitoring exposure to risk factors, outcomes, social andeconomic determinants of health, and health system responses, recognizing thatsuch systems are critical in appropriately addressing non-communicable diseases;
61. Call upon WHO, with the full participation of Member States, informed bytheir national situations, through its existing structures, and in collaboration with
United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and other relevant regional andinternational organizations, as appropriate, building on continuing efforts to develop
before the end of 2012, a comprehensive global monitoring framework, including a
set of indicators, capable of application across regional and country settings,
including through multisectoral approaches, to monitor trends and to assess progress
made in the implementation of national strategies and plans on non-communicablediseases;
62. Call upon WHO, in collaboration with Member States through the governing
bodies of WHO, and in collaboration with United Nations agencies, funds andprogrammes, and other relevant regional and international organizations, as
appropriate, building on the work already under way, to prepare recommendations
for a set of voluntary global targets for the prevention and control of
non-communicable diseases, before the end of 2012;
63. Consider the development of national targets and indicators based on nationalsituations, building on guidance provided by WHO, to focus on efforts to address
the impacts of non-communicable diseases, and to assess the progress made in theprevention and control of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors anddeterminants;
Follow-up
64. Request the Secretary-General, in close collaboration with the DirectorGeneral of WHO, and in consultations with Member States, United Nations funds
and programmes and other relevant international organizations, to submit by the end

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of 2012 to the General Assembly, at its sixty-seventh session, for consideration by
Member States, options for strengthening and facilitating multisectoral action forthe prevention and control of non-communicable diseases through effective
partnership;
65. Request the Secretary-General, in collaboration with Member States, WHO,and relevant funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations
system to present to the General Assembly at the sixty-eighth session a report on the
progress achieved in realizing the commitments made in this Political Declaration,
including on the progress of multisectoral action, and the impact on the achievementof the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium
Development Goals, in preparation for a comprehensive review and assessment in2014 of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicablediseases.

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