At an event in New York, USA, (Thursday, 24 September) to celebrate the important milestone of the inclusion of NCDs in the Post-2015 Agenda being adopted at the UN General Assembly this week, Executive Director of The Union, José Luis Castro, formally assumed the role of Chair of the NCD Alliance.
The Union joined the NCD Alliance in 2010, and below Mr Castro talks about the new role and hopes for the new post-2015 era.
What excites you most about taking on the role of Chair of the NCD Alliance?
I am thrilled to be part of a vibrant and influential group of organizations, which are doing crucial work that I passionately believe in. This is a critical moment with the UN General Assembly adopting the Sustainable Development Goals this same week, which position NCDs very prominently on the global development agenda in a way they’ve never been before.
Why do you think alliances of this nature are important? And why do you think it is important for The Union to support and be part of the NCD Alliance?
As individual organisations we can of course achieve great things, but there are activities that simply cannot be carried out as effectively alone. Sometimes we are only truly heard and have influence if many of us speak as one voice. This is for me why the Alliance is so important. It also gives us the advantage of expertise from all over the world in a broad range of disciplines and ensures that the best evidence and experience available is shared by and with many.. These are guiding principles of The Union and one piece of what we bring to our role in the NCD Alliance.
What do you think has been the key to the success achieved by the NCD Alliance and how will you build on this?
The strength of the global advocacy efforts of the NCD Alliance has certainly been central to its success. In particular, is the unique ability to ground this advocacy in the local experiences of the Alliance’s 2,000 organisations in 170 countries. This is further strengthened by the Alliance’s
connections and links with NCD civil society which brings in-depth insight and experience to the global, regional and national advocacy aims of the Alliance. And of course, the quality of the staff in the Alliance team and all organisations involved is the glue that makes everything possible. It is my aim to continue to build on these strengths, strengthening and growing the relationships that will be at the heart of all future work.
How do you think the landscape has changed since the forming of the NCD Alliance in 2009? What does this mean for the future?
There have been dramatic leaps forward since 2009, particularly with increased political commitment for NCDs, such as the Global NCD Action Plan (2013-2020) and advances in the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco control. This gives weight and momentum to the work of the Alliance, and at the very least starts conversations with governments that might not have existed before 2009.
This commitment is essential because the new global environment is very different to six years ago. There are changing population demographics, shifting political dynamics, a different economic climate, proliferation of trade agreements and transforming development cooperation agendas – which are all set among an increasing burden and impact of NCDs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The work of the Alliance is more important now than ever.
For the first time, reducing deaths and suffering caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related issues including tobacco control are included within the new Sustainable Development Goals being adopted by the UN General Assembly. Does this huge achievement mean that advocacy become less of a priority for the NCDA moving forward?
With NCDs firmly anchored with the new Sustainable Development Goals, we have certainly reached a landmark achievement for the advocacy aims of the NCD Alliance. Going forward, we must continue to lead global advocacy efforts to maintain political momentum and to ensure that the commitments to NCDs converts into action. For example, the advocacy work must include new efforts to make sure that financial commitment match the new political goodwill.
We also see that with successful advocacy comes increased action on the ground. To be successful, we need to ensure that those efforts are leading to improvements in health outcomes. Countries in some cases are committed to making an impact on NCDs, but they might need to improve their capacity or technical expertise to see an impact. I believe these are areas where the NCD Alliance can adapt to a shifting landscape and continue to lead.
Over the coming years, there will also need to be a larger focus on country-level implementation and accountability, as reflected in the NCD Alliance’s recent report and new strategic goals. Resourcing this ambition will be critical, and I am confident that new commitments for the Alliance will be complementary to the ever-important advocacy work.
What would you say to the leaders of the governments of the UN countries adopting the SDGs?
I would urge all leaders to commit resources and to use evidence-based strategies to help realise the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. And to reach out to collaborate with the scientific community and civil society at all levels within their countries.