Lacking Clarity or Strategic Ambiguity? Comment on "Competing Frames in Global Health Governance: An Analysis of Stakeholder Influence on the Political Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases".

Angela Carriedo,Kathrin Lauber,Margaret M Miller,Rob Ralston

doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2021.113

Abstract

This commentary engages with Suzuki and colleagues' analysis about the ambiguity of multi-stakeholder discourses in the United Nations (UN) Political Declaration of the 3rd High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM-NCDs), suggesting that blurring between public and private sector in this declaration reflects broader debates about multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) and public-private partnerships (PPPs) in health governance. We argue that the ambiguity between the roles and responsibilities of public and private actors involved may downplay the role (and regulation) of conflicts of interest (COI) between unhealthy commodity industries and public health. We argue that this ambiguity is not simply an artefact of the Political Declaration process, but a feature of multi-stakeholderism, which assumes that commercial actors´ interests can be aligned with the public interest. To safeguard global health governance, we recommend further empirical and conceptual research on COI and how it can be managed.

Highlights

The increasing prominence of multi-stakeholder fora and partnerships in global health[1,2,3,4] raises questions about how to identify and manage potential tensions between private sector and public heath interests
Building on Suzuki and colleagues’ analysis, we would suggest that this observed ambiguity in the roles, responsibilities and mandates of non-state actors is not an artefact of the United Nations (UN) HLM-NCDs process, but a feature of multi-stakeholderism in which it is assumed that commercial actorsinterests can be aligned with the public interest
Their work resonates with previous research exploring how food industry actors have attempted to shape debates around NCD policy and conflicts of interest (COI) through multistakeholder arrangements and publicprivate partnerships (PPPs).[4,5,6]

Summary

Introduction

The increasing prominence of multi-stakeholder fora and partnerships in global health[1,2,3,4] raises questions about how to identify and manage potential tensions between private sector and public heath interests.

Results

Conclusion