Organized by the Global Health Centre in cooperation with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and THINK_SDGs, the Meeting of Global Health Policy Think Tanks and Academic Institutions, was held in Geneva, Switzerland, between the 4th and 5th of December, to strategically analyse, with policy research institutions, 2030 Agenda and health-related SDGs implementation approaches and mechanisms, through knowledge sharing, capacity building and innovation.
The event brought together more than 60 representatives from leading policy research institutions from around the world and Geneva based global health stakeholders to analyse the political determinants of SDG implementation and discuss the role of think tanks and academic institutions in tackling governance challenges and opportunities.
The meeting prioritized four strategic areas to ensure progress on the Development Agenda: noncommunicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, universal health coverage, and planetary health. Participants from South Asia, East Africa and Latin America presented findings from mapping studies on institutional arrangements for implementing and monitoring health-related SDGs.
Roundtable discussions, working groups and public panels allowed for a high degree of interaction to share experiences and good practices. The promotion of synergies between think tanks and global health actors also facilitated the emergence of new ideas and the establishment of new collaborations across all continents and sectors.
The 4th of December, Philipp Schönrock, the Director of Cepei, participated in the panel “Accountability, data collection and country ownership”, sharing Colombia’s experiences on priority setting at the country level, the development of monitoring and accountability mechanisms, as well as the role of think tanks in this regard. Other participants that joined the discussion, moderated by Peter Taylor, Acting Director, Inclusive Economies, IDRC, where: Yolanthika Ellepola, Research Assistant, Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka; and Katharina Klohe, Center for Global Health, University of Oslo, Norway; Coordinator for the Center of Global Health, Technical University in Munich, Germany.
“In just a few years, we have go from an era when good health and well-being (SDG 3) was often marginalized due to political sensitivities, toward a revitalized, inspiring atmosphere of commitment”.
Philipp Schönrock, Director, Cepei
The next day, December 5th, the meeting “Knowledge exchange on approaches and tools for the VNRs”, took place and was joined by representatives of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and UN DESA, as well as Global Compact, Partners for Review, World Bank Group, International Disability Alliance, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-Water, International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The discussions focused on 5 topics: 1. Leaving no one behind 2. Data and monitoring 3. Knowledge products and policy tools 4. Private sector engagement 5. Stakeholder participation.
The Director of Cepei, in representation of Together 2030, was invited to be part of the “Roundtable exchange of views between VNR countries and stakeholders”, where participants discussed about the type of support that can facilitate the VNR process, and the needs countries have. The chair of the session was María Ortiz Pérez from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Other speakers that joined the conversation where: Leuleseged Tadese Abebe from Ethiopia; Susan Nicolai from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI); Ernesto Soria Morales, OECD; Gabriel Ferrero De Loma-Osorio, Spain.