February 1, 2021

UN group focused on fighting antimicrobial resistance sees participation from major industry players

Global leaders in science, industry and government have joined the United Nations’ One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to combat antimicrobial resistance.

The problem was described as a slow-moving pandemic by Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The group was launched in November 2020 by FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which will be joined by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It has had its first meeting and aims to catalyse global attention and efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance across all sectors and ensure the availability of important medicines for the future.

Some of the objectives and actions envisaged for the group include:

- To maintain urgency, public support, political momentum and visibility of the AMR challenge on the global agenda;

- To advocate for action and scaled-up investment, including support for the expanding work of the tripartite organisations - FAO, OIE and WHO - UN Environment and other international and regional entities;

- To monitor and report on progress, gaps and accountability in the global response to AMR;

- To advocate for multi-stakeholder engagement with the participation of member states, UN agencies, international and intergovernmental organisations and regional entities, civil society, the private sector, researchers and others to develop and work towards a shared global vision, goals and coordinated action on AMR;

- To monitor and advocate for the inclusion of AMR and One Health "lens" in investments and programmes of major financing instruments for agriculture, health, development, food and feed production.

- FAO