The 68th United Nations General Assembly began yesterday. Everyone is excited and charged up to see what will come out of this week, including us at ASH.

At all of the events that we’ve attended so far, civil society has been encouraged to be involved in the post-2015 development agenda. The President of the UN GA John Ashe asked us to tell him what we want to see happen. He says the stage is being set now, and nothing has been decided yet. Each and every UN Minister and Representative has urged civil society to be vocal.

Unfortunately, there was very little, if any, mention of health yesterday. We can do many online consultations and comment on reports, however we need to have a voice on the floor of the UN General Assembly!

Health and tobacco use impact all areas of sustainable development and poverty. This was highlighted by speakers of two regional networks. One made references to Phillip Morris and their efforts to undermine health warnings on cigarette packages. The other mentioned the negative impacts that corporations have on sustainable development.

For more information on the impact of tobacco on sustainable development, check out our new leaflet: Tobacco: a Barrier to Sustainable Development .

Stay tuned for more updates on the rest of the events at the UNGA this week.