World Federation for Mental Health: WFMH at the UN

(Last Updated On: 19.09.2023)

Advocacy

by the World Federation for Mental Health at UN Agencies During

2006

 

Background

 

The

World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) has had special

consultative status at the United Nations since 1963. Its

association with UN agencies stretches back even further,

to the founding of the UN system in 1948 and its own foundation

in London that same year. WFMH was granted consultative status

by the World Health Organization and UNESCO in 1948 and worked

with these two agencies on various projects. Other UN offices

with which it has had later contacts include the International

Labour Organization, UNICEF, the Office of the UN High Commissioner

for Refugees and the World Bank. Currently its main associations

are with the Economic and Social Council of the UN in New

York , the UN Department of Public Information in New York

, the UN Office in Geneva and the World Health Organization

in Geneva .

 

Activities

in 2006

 

UN

New York

 

Mental

health issues affecting women have a high priority in WFMH’s

advocacy at the UN. As in previous years, WFMH delegates attended

the annual meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

(50 th Session, 27 February – 10 March 2006). The Federation

sponsored two panels, “An Asian Perspective on Mental Health

Promotion as the Key to Women’s Empowerment” and “Addressing

the Psychosocial Impact of Violence Against Women.” A former

WFMH Board member, Prof. Chueh Chang, was the facilitator

for the Asian panel, and another WFMH member, Dr. Shu Yu Lyu,

gave a special presentation at this meeting. WFMH’s Main UN

Representative Nancy Wallace, LMSW, and Prof. Ricki Kantrowitz,

also a WFMH UN Representative, led the second panel and participated

in a special side event on “Violence against Women: From Critical

Concerns to Collective Action.” Prof. Kantrowitz was one of

the moderators and program organizers of a panel on “Women,

Well-Being and Development” jointly organized with the NGO

Committee on Mental Health, International Association of Schools

of Social Work and Zonta International. WFMH was instrumental

in drafting a statement on the mental health needs of women

submitted to the Commission by the NGO Committee on Mental

Health on behalf of its member organizations.

 

The

World Federation for Mental Health remains deeply involved

in the NGO Committee on Mental Health, a member of CONGO (Conference

of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN). WFMH helped

to found this NGO Committee in 1996 through the initiative

of its longtime Main Representative at the UN, Nancy Wallace.

Ms. Wallace headed the Executive Committee for many years.

The current chairperson is Janice Wood Wetzel of the International

Association of Schools of Social Work. Ms Wallace currently

serves as ex-officio chair, and WFMH Representative Gary S.

Belkin, MD, is a member-at-large.

 

Through

the NGO Committee’s efforts, the UN Secretary General releases

a message each year to coincide with the World Mental Health

Day campaign organized by WFMH. Secretary General Kofi Annan’s

message for the start of the campaign on 10 October 2006 highlighted

the link between serious mental illness and suicide. Nancy

Wallace was the organizer and moderator of a World Mental

Health Day meeting on “Global Perspectives on Suicide and

Mental Health” which took place in UN Headquarters in October

under the auspices of the NGO Committee of Mental Health,

and in cooperation with the World Health Organization. Opening

remarks were made by the new Executive Director of the World

Health Organization Office at the United Nations, New York

, Assistant Director-General Andrey Pirogov.

 

In

addition to participating in the NGO Committee’s monthly meetings,

WFMH UN representatives organize some of the Committee’s programs.

In 2006 Richard Donahue was responsible for a program in April

on “Children Forced into Armed Conflict” that examined the

situation in northern Uganda . Nancy Wallace arranged a program

on “International Perspectives on Alternative Healing Practices”

in November. WFMH representatives currently have leadership

roles in three of the NGO Committee’s five Working Groups.

Ms. Wallace is Convenor of the Group on Trauma and Mental

Health. Mr. Donahue is Co-Convenor of the Group on Children,

Youth and Mental Health. Dr. Belkin is Co-Convenor of the

Working Group on Human Rights.

 

Dr.

Belkin has been developing an initiative on social development

and integration. In February, during the annual session of

the UN Commission on Social Development, he was a speaker

on a panel s ponsored by the Division for Social Policy

and Development (UNDESA) and the United Nations Development

Program (UNDP) titled “ Dialogue in the Social Integration

Process: Building Peaceful Social Relations – By, For and

With People.” He has been serving

as the liaison between the NGO Committee and WHO for

a Social Development/Mental Health project. In January, together

with other NGO representatives, he participated in a UN Working

Meeting on Mental Health and Social Development Integration

with representatives of UNDESA and Dr. Benedetto Saraceno,

the Director of WHO’s Department of Mental Health & Substance

Abuse. Gary Belkin is also the WFMH Representative

to meetings of the NGO Committee on UNICEF.

 

Prof.

Haydee Montenegro represents WFMH on the CONGO NGO Committee

on Narcotics and Substance Abuse. She also represented WFMH

at meetings of the UN Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive

and Integral International Convention on the Protection and

Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.

 

Other

Events at the UN

 

At

the 23 rd Annual Social Work Day at the UN in April Nancy

Wallace was the final speaker, summarizing the program on

“Human Rights Challenges: Poverty, Child Violence and Disaster

Response.”

 

WFMH

Secretary-General & CEO Preston J. Garrison was a panel

member at the World Suicide Prevention Day Forum held on September

8, 2006 at United Nations Headquarters and organized jointly

by WHO and the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

 

Federation

UN Representatives attended the 59 th Annual Department of

Public Information conference for NGOs held at UN Headquarters

in New York on 6-8 September 2006.

 

UN

Geneva and the World Health Organization

 

In

Geneva , WFMH representatives monitored developments at the

World Health Organization and attended the meetings of the

WHO Executive Board and the World Health Assembly. They also

attended meetings at the UN Office in Geneva . During the

year they took a particular interest in matters affecting

human rights, and mental health issues of ageing.

 

The

sessions they attended included the following:

 

In February 2006, WFMH President Shona Sturgeon, Secretary-General

& CEO Preston Garrison, and WFMH UN Geneva Main Representative

Myrna Lachenal participated in the first WHO/NGO Workshop

on Health Promotion, organized by the Advisory Group to the

WHO Health Promotion Department.

 

UN Geneva meeting on Human Rights and Education (15 May 2006,

chaired by Peter Prove)

 

UN Geneva, 9 th Annual Briefing, “From Vision to Action –

NGOs Promoting Health in a Globalized World” (24 May 2006,

chaired by Dr. Beagelhole, Director, Chronic Diseases and

Health Promotion, WHO)

 

UN Geneva, NGO Committee on Ageing, June meeting

 

WHO Geneva, meeting on “Challenges of Ageing in a Foreign

Land ” (10 October 2006, chaired by Dr. A. Kaleche, President,

Geneva International Network on Ageing)

 

WHO Geneva, Special Session of the Executive Board (8 November

2006, designation of the new Director-General)

 

UN Geneva, NGO Committee on Ageing, November meeting

 

-WFMH

signed on to the World NGO Network on Alcohol and Public Health

initiated by WHO.

 

WFMH signed a Joint Statement by NGOs on the mandate and work

of the special rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief.

 

WFMH signed on to the NGO Joint Statement to the Fourth Special

Session of the Human Rights Council relating to the action

plan for Darfur and Sudan , 12 December 2006.

 

 

WFMH

Volunteer UN Representatives

 

New

York

Nancy

Wallace, L.M.S.W., Main Representative (also,

DPI Main Representative)

Ricki

Kantrowitz, Ph.D.

Richard

Donahue, M.S.W.

Haydee

Montenegro , Ph.D.

Gary

Belkin, M.D.

 

Geneva

Myrna

Lachenal, R.N., Main Representative

Anne

Yamada

Stanislas

Flache, M.D.