Global health and foreign policy A/RES/67/81 Recognizing the importance of universal coverage in national health systems, especially through primary health-care and social protection mechanisms, to provide access to health services for all, in particular for the poorest segments of the population, Recalling in particular that the sixty-fourth World Health Assembly, in its resolution 64.9, requested the Director General of the World Health Organization to convey to the Secretary-General of the United Nations the importance of universal health coverage for discussion by a forthcoming session of the General Assembly,5 Noting the role of the Foreign Policy and Global Health Initiative in promoting synergy between foreign policy and global health, as well as the contribution of the Oslo Ministerial Declaration of 20 March 2007, entitled “Global health: a pressing foreign policy issue of our time”, 10 which was reaffirmed, with renewed actions and commitments, by the ministerial declaration of 22 September 2010, 11 1. Notes with appreciation the note by the Secretary-General 12 transmitting the report of the Director General of the World Health Organization and the recommendations contained in the report on improving coordination, coherence, and effectiveness of governance for global health and addressing the interlinkages between health and environment and health and natural disasters; Calls for more attention to health as an important cross-cutting policy 2. issue on the international agenda, as it is a precondition for and an outcome and indicator of all three dimensions of sustainable development, and for the recognition that global health challenges require concerted and sustained efforts to further promote a global policy environment supportive of global health and sustainable development; Invites Member States to recognize the links between the promotion of 3. universal health coverage and other foreign policy issues, such as the social dimension of globalization, cohesion and stability, inclusive and equitable growth and sustainable development and sustainability of national financing mechanisms, and the importance of universal coverage in national health systems, especially through primary health-care and social protection mechanisms, including nationally determined social protection floors; Also invites Member States to adopt a multisectoral approach and to 4. work on determinants of health within sectors including, as appropriate, through the health-in-all-policies approach, while taking into consideration the social, environmental and economic determinants of health, with a view to reducing health inequities and enabling sustainable development, and stresses the urgent need to act on social determinants for the final push towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; Calls upon Member States to value the contribution of universal health 5. coverage to achieving all interrelated Millennium Development Goals, with the ultimate outcome of more healthy lives, particularly for women and children; Recognizes that, although countries have realized important achievements, 6. all countries have scope for further improvements in their health financing policies _______________ 10 A/63/591, annex. A/65/538, annex. 12 A/67/377. 11 3/6