Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

The ISN was granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations’ (UN) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in July 2021.

ECOSOC, one of the six main organs of the UN, is at the heart of its system to advance all three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social, and environmental – and is the only main UN body with a formal framework for NGO participation.

Obtaining Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC is a significant step in ensuring ISN’s presence within multiple UN initiatives and allowing ISN access to ECOSOC’s many subsidiary bodies and forums, multiple human rights mechanisms of the UN, and special events organized by the president of the General Assembly.

Attendance to UNGA

HLM4 (September 2025)

At the 4th UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) the adoption of the political declaration was initially postponed, and the text was referred to the UN General Assembly for a vote as a resolution. 

In December 2025, the political declaration was formally adopted. Notably, kidney health is mentioned three times in the document, marking the first time kidney disease has been included in a political declaration from a UN High-Level Meeting. 

The declaration recognizes the burden of chronic kidney disease, calls for its integrated management in primary care, and specifically recognizes the strong links between diabetes and kidney disease.

UNGA80 (September 2025)

In September 2025, the ISN, in partnership with Devex, hosted Kidney Health Can’t Wait: Turning Commitments Into Action, a high-level event focused on advancing kidney health within the global noncommunicable disease (NCD) agenda. 

Watch a recording of the session here 

The event, held two days ahead of the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, brought together policymakers, researchers, and patient advocates to discuss how to translate recent global commitments on kidney health into concrete national action. 

This ISN–Devex event was supported by ISN Strategic Partners.

UNGA79 (September 2024)

On September 25, the ISN hosted dedicated activities to raise awareness of and drive action on kidney disease at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.   

An ISN exhibit booth, “Kidney Health Matters: Prioritizing the Silent Epidemic,” realized with the support from the ISN Strategic Partners, showcased data from the ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas to highlight the human and economic burden of kidney disease. ISN Advocacy Working Group Chair Valerie Luyckx co-hosted a fireside chat and presented at the ISN expert panel: “Transformative Health Policies for NCDs: Emphasizing the Importance of an Integrated Approach for Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Conditions.”   

The event yielded highly positive outcomes. The Ministers of Health for Guatemala and Nepal, along with the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare for Japan, visited the ISN exhibition booth and signed the pledge.

Contact the ISN Advocacy team

Get in touch with us for inquiries, collaborations, or support at advocacy@theisn.org.