This week, world leaders gather in New York for the 80th UN General Assembly and the 4th High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health. Movendi International is there - raising ambition for alcohol policy, exposing industry interference, and advocating for people-centered solutions that promote health, rights, and sustainable development. The post Movendi at UNGA80: Driving Global Momentum on Alcohol Policy appeared first on Movendi International.| Movendi International
Over the past decade, Movendi International has contributed to moving alcohol taxation from the margins to the center of global health and development policy agendas. Kristina charts how Movendi helped drive this shift - from early setbacks in Addis Ababa to concrete country reforms and bold WHO commitments such as the new 3×35 Initiative. This is the story of persistence, justice, and how civil society can make a neglected but powerful solution a global priority. Kristina also shared her th...| Movendi International
The final UN Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health fails to deliver a meaningful response to alcohol harm, despite some modest gains. Movendi International’s in-depth analysis reveals how alcohol industry interference attacked the most meaningful elements of the draft text, resulting in six major missed opportunities in the final declaration - from deleted targets and omitted SAFER measures to vague language and a lack of accountability. This politically compromised outcome underm...| Movendi International
The final UN Political Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health includes all three alcohol policy Best Buys, highlights alcohol taxation, and acknowledges the commercial determinants of health and conflicts of interest. But it fails to deliver a fast-tracked alcohol policy response commensurate with the scale of alcohol harm. The declaration omits concrete targets, screening and brief interventions, the SAFER alcohol policy blueprint, and explicit recognition of alcohol industry interference. Mo...| Movendi International
The Colombian government has unveiled a landmark tax reform that raises alcohol taxes as part of efforts to fund the 2026 budget and improve public health. The reform comes amid urgent health concerns: alcohol causes nearly 10,000 deaths annually in Colombia, is the top risk factor for death among 15- to 49-year-olds, and contributes to violence, self-harm, and traffic crashes. Civil society and community voices say this reform marks a turning point, ensuring the alcohol industry pays its fai...| Movendi International
The latest draft of the UN Political Declaration (Revision 3) brings back two references to alcohol policy best buys—barely avoiding complete meaninglessness. Yet the draft still falls short of previous global commitments to accelerate action, ignores WHO guidance, sidesteps the scientific evidence, and fails to match the scale of the alcohol burden.| Movendi International
VAST Ghana is stepping up for alcohol taxation. Following successful advocacy work for Ghana to raise alcohol taxes in 2023, VAST is now stepping up again to defend the public health achievement. The Excise Duty Act, with tax rates up to 47.5%, is credited with curbing alcohol harm, yet it now faces pushback from the alcohol industry. VAST Ghana urges lawmakers to resist pressure and instead strengthen tax policy by adopting a hybrid system and indexing for inflation.| Movendi International
