SIXTY-SIXTH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Agenda item 14.1
WHA66.11 27 May 2013
Health in the post-2015 UN development agenda The Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly, Reaffirming the Constitution of the World Health Organization, which states that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition; Reaffirming also the principles of the United Nations Millennium Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution 55/2, including human dignity, equality and equity, and stressing the need for their reflection in the post-2015 development agenda; Recalling United Nations General Assembly resolution 64/299 on “Keeping the promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals”, which requested the Secretary-General, inter alia, to report annually on progress in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals until 2015 and to make recommendations in his annual reports, as appropriate, for further steps to advance the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015; Recalling also United Nations General Assembly resolution 66/288 “The future we want”, which recognized health as a precondition for and an outcome and indicator of all three dimensions of sustainable development and which requested, inter alia, the establishment of an open working group that will submit a proposal for sustainable development goals for consideration by the United Nations General Assembly; Recognizing United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/81 on global health and foreign policy, which, inter alia, recommended that consideration be given to including universal health coverage in the discussion on the post-2015 UN development agenda in the context of global health challenges; Noting the outcome of the Global Thematic Consultation on Health in the post-2015 UN development agenda, which culminated in a high-level dialogue on health in Gaborone, Botswana in March 2013; Further recalling the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health endorsed by the Sixty-fifth World Health Assembly in resolution WHA65.8 in May 2012; Acknowledging the many global, regional and national consultations on health in the post-2015 UN development agenda that are under way; Concerned that although some countries have made good progress towards attaining some of the health-related Millennium Development Goals many others are not on track to fully attain some or all of the health-related Goals by 2015;
WHA66.11
Appreciating the need to sustain current achievements and accelerate efforts in those countries where more rapid progress is needed towards achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015, 1. URGES Member States:1 (1) to ensure that health is central to the post-2015 UN development agenda;
(2) to strengthen country ownership in articulating national plans and priorities and aligning efforts and resources towards the achievement of the current health-related Millennium Development Goals building towards sustainable progress on health outcomes; (3) to actively engage in discussions on the post-2015 UN development agenda respecting the processes established by the United Nations General Assembly; (4) to honour their commitments towards agreed health targets and goals and to sustain and accelerate efforts towards the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals; (5) to accelerate international cooperation to support countries that may not achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015; 2. REQUESTS the Director-General: (1) to ensure that WHO consultations on health in the post-2015 UN development agenda are inclusive and open to all regions, subregions and Member States,1 and that such discussions are adequately informed by other ongoing processes; (2) to continue active engagement with ongoing discussions on the post-2015 UN development agenda, working with the United Nations Secretary-General to ensure the centrality of health in all relevant processes; (3) to advocate for intensified mobilization of financial and technical resources, in the spirit of the Busan Declaration on development effectiveness, in order to support Member States in accelerating their attainment of the health-related Millennium Development Goals targets by 2015; (4) to include the discussion of health in the post-2015 UN development agenda as an agenda item in the 2013 meetings of the WHO regional committees and to present a report on those discussions, through the Executive Board at its 134th session in January 2014, to the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly. Ninth plenary meeting, 27 May 2013 A66/VR/9 = = =
1
And, where applicable, regional economic integration organizations.
2