Global health and multilateral diplomacy

Several preambular paragraphs of the resolution are dedicated to institutional aspects and with interesting references to the relationship between health and nutrition.

The first operative paragraph of the resolution contains a strong call addressed to member states to reinforce actions towards the improvement of nutrition, health conditions and living standards of populations around the globe as a key element of strategies for the eradication of all forms of malnutrition and poverty in all its forms and dimensions, as well as the promotion of sustainable development.

A very interesting provision of the resolution aims to encouraging member states to develop health and nutrition by promoting environments, including through nutrition education in schools and other education institutions, as appropriate, and to scale up community-based actions that support children and families, through the promotion of maternal health .

In strong diplomatic language the UNGA calls upon member states, in partnership with other relevant stakeholders, including international and regional organizations and academia, to consider scaling up research and knowledge dissemination on the correlations between health, notably its economic and social determinants, and nutrition and food systems to generate evidence and guidance on effective nutrition programmes and policies.

A topical provision which deserves to be mentioned is about UNGA's encouragement for greater coherence and coordination among United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and entities on matters related to global health and foreign policy.

From the diplomatic point of view it should be noted that the UNGA treats the item under consideration in this article with a special attention for its continuity. Thus, the UNGA looks forward to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on universal health coverage, to be held in New York in September 2019, under the theme "Universal health coverage: moving together to build a healthier world".

Finally, the UNGA requests the UN Secretary-General, in close collaboration with the Director General of the WHO, as well as other relevant international organizations, to report to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session,in 2019, under the item entitled "Global health and foreign policy", on improving international coordination and cooperation to address health needs and the challenges for the achievement of a healthier world through better nutrition.

We have summarized above, without entering into details, the content of the most recent resolution dedicated to global health and foreign policy as a major issue of contemporaneity, able to attract adequate and constant diplomatic action.

The adoption of this resolution can be considered as a real success of multilateral diplomacy in the general process of international cooperation in specific human fields.

However, this success can be measured only in the light or the actual implementation of recommendations addressed to the 193 UN member states. There is no special mechanism able to monitor the implementation of this resolution by various groups of states.

Nevertheless, the preparation of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on universal health coverage in September 2019 will, politically speaking, encourage member states to pay adequate attention to the implementation of recommendations addressed to them by the most representative forum in world politics which is the UNGA.

It should be noted that the resolution Scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting on universal health coverage was adopted without a vote.

The document which will be adopted in September 2019 at the end of the high-level meeting dedicated to this item should be treated very seriously and should be fully implemented at the national and local levels by all member states.

That could be considered to be a remarkable success of multilateral diplomacy in the service of global health.