The WHO Civil Society Working Group (CSWG) on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) is a WHO-coordinated network of 36 representatives of civil society organizations. Together, they advocate for bold and transformative multistakeholder solutions to address NCDs and integrated health challenges in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
No actor alone can effectively respond to the global epidemic of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or heart and chronic respiratory disease. For WHO and its Member States, civil society organizations are a vital partner in providing quality essential health services, in integrating NCD prevention and control and mental health into universal health coverage, and in strengthening climate change-resilient and environmentally-sustainable health systems.
As part of WHO’s triple billion targets and its Global Programme of Work (GPW13),WHO’s Task Team on Civil Society Engagement has explicitly called for civil society participation in policy processes and is committed to support Member States to forge meaningful partnerships.
The WHO Director-Generalconvened a first CSWG in 2017 to support civil society participation in the preparatory process in the lead up to the third United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2018.
A second CSWG on NCDs was formed in 2019, advising the Director General on mobilizing civil society actors to follow-up on the outcomes of the 2018 UNGA on NCDs, and to explore synergies with civil society from other areas of global health across in line with a comprehensive approach to universal health coverage.
A third CSWG has been instigated for 2023 through 2026, aiming to ensure advocacy and accountability for continuous, meaningful engagement withcivil society in preparation of the fourth United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs in September 2025.
