February 2011

January at a glance

The year has begun at a hectic pace; with nine months to the UN summit we are accelerating our efforts to influence world leaders. Exhilarated by the success of the crucial Modalities Resolution in December, IDF has been working closely with our NCD Alliance partners to build the next stage of our campaign. In the past month we have put our case strongly to the WHO Executive Board and we have convened an expert working group to develop an IDF Charter of Rights for People with Diabetes.

Importantly, we have been listening carefully to your views on the diabetes priorities for the Summit. Thank you to all those who contributed to our recent Consultation – you are helping us to ensure we are representing the true needs of our membership as we approach this turning point for diabetes.

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Key Advocacy Actions you can take now to ensure a successful UN Summit on NCDs

• Act to get our voices heard. Between now and the high level meeting, country Missions to the UN in New York will negotiate an Outcome Document to be presented and approved at the Summit in September. Keep building a relationship with like-minded NGOs and your Foreign Affairs Ministry to help influence the negotiation process over the next six months. Civil society has a vital part to play in shaping the outcomes of the UN Summit.
• Request the highest level of official representation at the UN Summit. This is a meeting of Heads of State and Heads of Government, and their attendance is essential to ensure the Summit achieves the highest level of political support and attracts the world’s attention.
• Urge your government to include representatives of civil society in their delegations to the UN Summit as suggested in the Modalities Resolution. You can contact other organizations in your country to develop a common strategy for this advocacy effort.
• Influence your government’s participation at the UN Summit by shaping their statements prior to the meeting. It is vital that the unique perspectives and experience of the civil society sector are included in these preparations and deliberations.
• Support us in calling for:
  • The establishment of a Civil Society Taskforce under the Office of the President of the General Assembly to ensure active involvement of civil society in the lead up to the UN Summit;
  • The appointment of a high-level focal point within the UN to lead the process, as was the case in the HIV/AIDS Summit in 2001;
  • A UN Decade of Action on NCDs as a key outcome of the UN Summit. Previous UN Decades of Action have been launched to promote efforts to fulfil international commitments made at UN Summits, and focus attention on action-oriented activities and policies that ensure long-term sustainable change.

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Advocacy in Practice: A UN Decade of Action on NCDs

The UN Summit on NCDs represents a unique opportunity to raise the political profile of diabetes and the related NCDs but it will only be the first step to a global solution. NCDs are a long term issue, so the momentum must continue in 2012 and beyond and we must make sure that the commitments made in New York become reality around the world. Previous Summits have resulted in a UN Decade for Action, which focus attention on activities and policies that ensure long-term sustainable change. This is what IDF and the NCD Alliance are calling for as a key outcome from the UN Summit.

We want to reproduce the level of international energy and focus that has been created by the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ which began on March 22 2005 and which will last until 2015. Co-ordinated by UN-Water the objective is to make major progress in providing greater access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation - a target in the Millennium Development Goals. The challenge is to focus attention on activities and policies that ensure the long-term sustainable management of water resources. The 'Water for Life' Decade provides an opportunity to everyone throughout the world to get involved.

IDF and the NCD Alliance are calling for a UN Decade of Action on NCDs that would allow us the unique opportunity to:

• Infuse a sense of urgency and ensure acceleration of efforts by all stakeholders following the UN Summit;
• Promote greater awareness of the broader picture of how NCDs critically underpin the efforts to achieve all of the MDGs;
• Catalyse and scale-up international programmes of cooperation on NCDs;
• Enable greater accountability through periodic review meetings over the decade when progress against targets can be measured.

Join us in calling for a UN Decade of Action on NCDs!

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IDF Member Association Consultation on Diabetes Priorities for the UN Summit – Headline Results

At the end of February, IDF will release the consultation report on Member Association Diabetes Priorities for the UN Summit. The report will outline key global and regional priorities for the UN Summit, as well as Member Association needs from the IDF Executive Office in the run up and immediate aftermath of the UN Summit. Detailed analysis of the results is underway, but we are pleased to announce that we have had responses from 63% of the countries IDF represents. This high response not only demonstrates the importance of the UN Summit to our Member, it also ensures IDF is speaking legitimately for all regions and members.

To give you a flavour of the results, here are the top common themes that emerged on how IDF Executive Office can further support you in the lead up to the UN Summit:

• Regularly communicate with Member Associations on the developments of the UN Summit;
• Support Member Associations to link with their Governments in the lead up to the UN Summit;
• Provide technical support and advocacy materials to support Member Associations lobby effectively at the national and regional levels.

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IDF Charter of Rights for People with Diabetes

Protecting the rights of people with diabetes has been one of IDF’s longstanding strategic priorities. We are using the opportunity of the UN Summit to put more focus on this work and are producing a Charter of Rights for People with Diabetes. The Charter will set out rights and responsibilities for all stakeholders in the fight against diabetes and will highlight ways in which people with diabetes, communities, health care professionals and governments can work as partners to improve health services. IDF convened an expert working group on 13th January to start work on the Charter, and IDF’s Regional Chairs are being consulted to ensure the end result meets the needs of all regions. The Charter of Rights will be a powerful and timely vehicle to mobilize partnerships and raise the issues of rights and discrimination in the lead up to the UN Summit on NCDs in September 2011 and beyond.

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Advocacy in Practice: WHO Executive Board

The WHO Executive Board’s 128th Session took place in Geneva from 17-25 January 2011. Agenda item 4.14 was on the prevention and control of NCDs and WHO’s role in the preparation, implementation and follow-up to the UN Summit. During this agenda item, a statement was delivered on behalf of the NCD Alliance, reaffirming our commitment to supporting member states and WHO in catalysing the UN Summit process and calling on all member states to ensure that WHO has the required resources to coordinate a successful Summit.

The NCD Alliance was very visible at the WHO Executive Board. We focused on building support for the Summit with key Executive Board Members, distributed materials and background information, and made connections with non-NCD NGOs to raise awareness of the Summit.

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Advocacy in Practice: Norway NCD Alliance

Mr. Bjørnar Allgot, General Secretary of the Diabetes Association Norway, and Mr. Bjørn-Inge Larsen, Norwegian Health Director and board member of WHO Europe, are interviewed by Norwegian television after the WHO European consultation on the UN Summit in Oslo, November 2010.

The creation of a Norwegian NCD-alliance was inspired by the international NCD-alliance founded by IDF. The Diabetes Association of Norway invited the other major organisations representing NCDs in Norway (the Norwegian Cancer Union, The Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organisation and the Norwegian Health Association) to join us in an alliance working to give NCDs attention both on an international and national level.. Our focus now is the UN High-level meeting on NCDs in September, but we have decided to work together as an alliance also after the UN meeting to put pressure on our own government to follow up the demands from the UN High-level meeting.

The Norwegian Ministry of Health is very supportive of the Norwegian NCD-alliance. . The Norwegian Minister of Health Mrs. Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen spoke of the important role of civil society in fighting NCDs in her opening speech at the WHO consultations, and we believe that the cooperation between the MoH and the national NCD-alliance will be of great importance in the months to come.

Our key asks are the same as the ones stated by the international NCD-alliance:

• Governments to be accountable and measured on NCD plans
• Framework convention on Tobacco Control to be fully implemented
• A global commitment to prevent the preventable
• Globally agreed approaches to NCD treatment and care
• Resources to deliver NCD interventions
• NCDs in the MDG successor goals

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Spread the Word

The first edition of this new newsletter created interest from both IDF Member Associations and a broader audience. We are publishing all newsletters onto the IDF website, and we encourage you to send these newsletters to your Ministry of Health, like-minded NGOs, Member Associations from the other federations of the NCD Alliance to make a joint approach to your government, and academic institutions who are likely to be supportive of the UN Summit. The more people receive and read this newsletter, the more likely the UN Summit will result in real change for the millions of people with diabetes.

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Join the NCD Alliance Common Interest Group (CIG)

The CIG is a group of over 200 organisations working together for the UN Summit. It has been established to create a powerful network group of like-minded NGOs who wish to work together to achieve the NCD Alliance key objectives and to build support for the UN Summit Meeting. To join the monthly internet teleconferences, send a request to info@ncdalliance.org including contact details and background information on your organization.

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We want to hear from you

Please email Sara Carrillo, IDF Communications Coordinator (sara.carrillo@idf.org) with:

• Updates of local advocacy activities;
• Upcoming regional events.

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Upcoming Events

Feb 4	World Cancer Day
Feb 9-18	49th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development, New York
Feb 14-17	WHO South East Asia (SEA) UN Summit Regional Member States Consultation, Bangladesh
Feb 22	NCD Alliance Common Interest Group Call (15:30-16:45 CET)
Feb 23-25	WHO Americas (AMRO) UN Summit Regional Member States Consultation, Mexico
Feb 25	55th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), New York
	NCD Alliance Side Event- Non-Communicable Diseases: A Neglected Dimension on Women’s Health and Development

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