This month, our grassroots get-together covered the arcane topic of UN High-Level Meetings: What happens at these big diplomatic set-pieces, and how are they remotely relevant to the fight against global poverty and infectious diseases like tuberculosis?
Expert advocacy consultant Dr. Robyn Waite shared her insights gained from attempting to influence the second-ever ‘UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on TB’, to be held on 22 September this year in New York. With Nation States jockeying to get their concerns reflected in the draft declaration - and their pet hates excluded - it’s very hard for ordinary people, especially those communities most affected by TB, to get meaningfully involved in the process.
You can hear her fascinating assessment of how this works in this recording.
As each Nation State attempts to look good on the world stage this September, we’re asking Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to attend the event in person and commit the UK to increasing its support for the urgent target of ending the TB epidemic by 2030. We’ve only seven years left, so now’s the time to step up.
You can find the campaign here - take action today!
Links mentioned on the call
RESULTS Accountability Report on TB eradication efforts
Grassroots Conference Programme
Gill’s article in Independent Catholic News