Though not explicitly on the agenda, NCDs featured prominently at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) at UN Headquarters in New York, 9-18 July.

Different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are reviewed at the HLPF each year. SDG3 on health was reviewed in 2017, but this year’s Forum presented opportunities to demonstrate the links between NCDs, wider health priorities and the SDGs under review, and NCD Alliance developed an advocacy briefing on this topic.

Those goals under review were:

• SDG 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• SDG 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
• SDG 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
• SDG 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
• SDG 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
• SDG 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Of the 47 member states submitting Voluntary National Reviews of progress in 2018, many have incorporated a focus on health and NCDs. In addition, Member States adopted a Ministerial Declaration on 18 July - document E/HLPF/2018/L.2 - that included a reference to NCDs in relation to air quality, together with mentions of health impacts related to water quality and waste disposal (paragraphs 23 and 25). The event was adopted, but not unanimously, with the United States and Israel voting against adoption.