09/21/2024
Simultaneous to the WOHC in Cape Town, World leaders were meeting in New York at the UN General Assembly Summit of the Future and adopting a Pact for the Future. However, that Summit program failed to include One Health in discussions in spite of the UN Quadripartite (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP) actively embracing and leading for One Health. When attendees at the 8th World One Health Congress became aware of this serious oversight, on 21 September, 2024 they collectively prepared and shared a message to the UN General Secretary, the Summit of the Future Actions Days and other UN contacts urging that One Health be fully embraced with specific suggestions of where it could be included in the draft PACT.
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21 September, 2024
To the UN Secretary General and Summit of the Future Action Days Team:
It has come to our attention that the UN Summit of the Future is occurring simultaneously with the 8th World One Health Congress.
The unifying concept of One Health that acknowledges the interconnectedness of human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health and well-being, is highly relevant to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and is recognized as such by international organizations, regional bodies, countries, and civil society.
The international network of One Health stakeholders currently attending the 8th World One Health Congress (Cape Town, Sept 20-23) urges that One Health be openly and fully embraced, and that the importance and urgency of incorporating One Health thinking in our projections for the future be included and taken into account.
Further to this, we propose that One Health be included in the outcome of the UN Summit of the Future, the Pact for the Future.
Specifically, we propose to insert this after item 9. of the Pact:
‘We recognize the unifying concept of One Health that acknowledges the interconnectedness of human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health and well-being, as essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.’
We also propose to insert under Action 1, 20. (a):
We decide to: (a) Scale up our efforts using the One Health approach towards the full implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
Respectfully submitted,
global One Health Community, organisers of the 8th World One Health Conference, John McKenzie, Ab Osterhaus, Clare Taylor
One Health Commission, Cheryl Stroud
8th World One Health Conference participants
(signatories)
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A message was also sent to all Congress attendees providing the opportunity for sign on, as individuals or organizations, in support of the Collective Call. As of 15 October, 27 Organizations and 94 Individuals had lent their voices to the call. This marks a 'first' for the international One Health movement to raise its 'collective' voice in a coordinated and collaborative manner.
