World Leaders to Renew Commitment to Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health at UNGA 2025
Heads of State from across the globe will gather today on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to reaffirm their commitment to advancing the health and rights of women, children, and adolescents.
The event, convened by the Global Leadership Network (GLN) for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (WCAH), comes at a time of mounting global challenges — from escalating humanitarian crises and shrinking development financing to growing threats to peace and security.
Chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the GLN brings together leaders from countries including Denmark, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Tanzania. Under the theme “Recommitting to Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health and Rights: A Call to Action for Peace, Security, and Sustainable Development,” the high-level dialogue aims to renew political momentum and mobilize sustainable solutions.
A Call for Bold Commitments
Discussions are expected to focus on five key priorities:
* Recognizing women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health as central to national and global development agendas.
* Securing bold political and financial commitments through gender-responsive, equity-driven approaches.
* Addressing the unique needs of vulnerable populations in fragile and crisis-affected settings.
* Exploring innovative financing models to offset declining Official Development Assistance.
* Strengthening accountability through sustained head-of-state engagement.
According to organizers, the gathering will also serve as an accountability checkpoint for the GLN, which was launched in 2023 as the first Global South-led health diplomacy platform dedicated to accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its mission includes reducing maternal, neonatal, and adolescent mortality by one-third in member countries by 2030.
About the Global Leaders Network and PMNCH
The Global Leaders Network represents a collective push by governments to place WCAH at the heart of global policymaking. It works closely with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health.
Established in 2005 and hosted by the World Health Organization in Geneva, PMNCH brings together nearly 1,500 partners spanning governments, youth networks, health professionals, NGOs, UN agencies, financing institutions, and the private sector.
The convening at UNGA 2025 is expected to reaffirm the urgency of safeguarding the health and rights of the most vulnerable — not only as a moral obligation but as a strategic investment in peace, security, and sustainable development.
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