8 September 2016: The Facilitator of the High-level Meeting (HLM) of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has released the final draft outcome document, which is under silence procedure until 13 September. The draft underscores the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a framework for ensuring healthy lives, reaffirms the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ‘Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance’ as the blueprint for tackling AMR, and requests the UN Secretary-General to establish an ad hoc interagency coordination group to provide practical guidance for approaches to ensure sustained effective global action to address AMR.

By the Political Declaration of the HLM on AMR, Heads of State and Government would recall commitments to public health, including by addressing growing AMR resistance, and reiterate that AMR challenges the sustainability and effectiveness of public health responses to other diseases, gains in development and health, and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”

In the Declaration, Heads of State and Government commit to: work at global, regional and national levels to develop and implement multi-sectoral national action plans, programs and policy initiatives, in line with a One Health approach and the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR; mobilize adequate, predictable and sustained funding and human and final resources to support the development and implementation of national action plans and research and development on AMR based on priorities and local needs set by governments; and take steps to ensure that national action plans develop and strengthen surveillance, monitoring and regulatory frameworks on the preservation, use and sales of AMR medicines for human and animals. They further commit to: initiate, increase and sustain awareness and knowledge-raising activities on AMR to encourage behavioral change in different audiences, promote evidence-based prevention, infection, control and sanitation programs, promote optimal use and appropriate prescription of AMR medicines; and support a multi-sectoral and One Health to address AMR, including through promoting access to quality, safe, affordable new medicines and vaccines and alternatives to AMRs.

The Declaration calls on the WHO to work with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to finalize a global development and stewardship framework to support the development, control, distribution and appropriate use of new AMR medicines, diagnostic tools and other interventions, while preserving existing AMR medicines and promoting affordable access to existing and new AMR medicines.

The Declaration requests the UN Secretary-General to establish an ad hoc interagency coordination group to provide practical guidance to address AMR. The Declaration further requests the UN Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of this declaration and other developments and recommendations from the group for consideration by UN Member States by the UNGA’s 73rd session.

Consultations on the outcome document have been facilitated by Juan Jose Gomez Camacho, Permanent Representative of Mexico. The HLM will take place on 21 September 2016. The WHO recalls that “this is only the fourth time in the history of the UN that a health topic is discussed at the General Assembly (HIV, noncommunicable diseases, and Ebola were the others).” [Draft Political Declaration] [UNGA Meeting Website] [WHO Meeting Website]