Act, Allocate, Accelerate: Advancing Coordinated SDG Delivery Through Eye Health (HLPF 2026 Side Event)

Good afternoon, everyone. Excellencies, distinguished guests, and speakers and colleagues, just delighted to welcome you to this official side event, Act, Allocate, Accelerate: Advancing Coordinated SDG Delivery Through iHealth. held on the margins of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum. Reflecting this year's HLPF theme of advancing transformative, equitable, innovative, and coordinated action, today's discussion will explore how iHealth can accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals through stronger partnerships and integrated approaches. As we made clear in General Assembly Resolution 75310, Addressing avoidable sight loss requires collaboration across health, education, labour, transport, and infrastructure. Yet these systems too often operate in isolation, limiting both health and broader developmental opportunities and outcomes. Road safety provides a compelling example of this challenge and of what can be achieved through coordinated action. Ireland is fully conscious of the need for a joined-up approach to vision in general And like others here, we see this especially clearly in the case of road safety. That is why my mission has been working to ensure the inclusion of language on minimum vision requirements in the Road Safety Progress Declaration from the very start of this process, and we're hoping that this text can be agreed in the coming— maybe today even, if possible. Today's discussion here at the side event will also look ahead to the 2026 Global Summit for Eye Health, which is an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, mobilize commitments, and accelerate implementation of Vision for Everyone. We are honored to be joined by our co-hosts and co-chairs of the UN Friends of Vision Group, whose leadership has helped position eye health as a contributor to sustainable development and demonstrates the power of partnerships in advancing the SDGs. Before I ask our co-hosts to speak, I want to hand the floor to make the keynote address to Ms. Rabab Fatima, who will be known to all of us here, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States, or OHRLS. That little— that quite soundbite. USG Fatima has been a founding member of the UNFEMSA Vision, and she's been a tireless champion for ensuring that eye health is recognized as a development priority, particularly for the world's most vulnerable populations. Over to you. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ambassador, and my apologies for breaking line and to speak first, but I have a flight to catch, but I had to be here. I couldn't miss this for anything, so thank you for accommodating my request. Distinguished co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Vision, Excellencies, and my very dear friends from the vision community, it's wonderful to be here. Let me start by thanking the co-chairs, Ambassador Aubrey and Ambassador Fergal Maithen and Ambassador Saladin Oman Chaudhry for convening us today. Their steadfast commitment has helped move eye health from the margins of development policy towards the center of the 2030 Agenda. I thank them again for inviting me, and as I said, I never miss an opportunity to be with the Friends of Vision. Today's discussion goes to the heart of a wider challenge. How do we turn political commitments into coordinated delivery? Eye health offers a compelling answer. It is often treated as a narrowly defined health issue. In reality, it is a model for integrated SDG action. A pair of spectacles can help a child remain in school. Cataract surgery can restore independence, income, and dignity. Accessible eye care can expand women's participation in economic and social life. And vision screening can contribute to safer roads and communities. Yet the scale of the challenge is immense. At least 2.2 billion people live with vision impairment. Or at least— for at least 1 billion of them, that impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed. 90% of people with unaddressed vision impairment or blindness live in low- and middle-income countries, including the 92 countries that my office represents, that is, the least developed countries, the landlocked developing countries, and the small island developing states. The economic case to act is clear. Unaddressed vision impairment is associated with an estimated $410 billion in lost productivity each year, while the estimated cost of meeting unmet eye care needs is about $25 billion. Thus, it is very clear to all of us that this is not simply a health gap. It is a development gap. The General Assembly recognized this in its landmark Resolution 75/310, Vision for Everyone, which was adopted in 2021 and which my country, Bangladesh, along with Antigua and Barbuda and Ireland, had the honor to lead. And it was a rare honor for me to be— to present that first-ever resolution to the General Assembly on behalf of the co-chairs, thus cementing a lifelong commitment to the vision agenda. At that point of time, I remember when we were putting together that thing, that resolution, initially I think we were even thinking to have a day for vision, an international day. But then I think some of us— not me, but some of us within the larger community— felt that we couldn't sort of— we didn't want to delay the adoption of the resolution by introducing an international day. So I believe we missed that opportunity because a few weeks later, we had the drowning prevention resolution. And this time, we were bold. We included the international day for drowning prevention, and it went through. So I hope that unfinished agenda of having an international day for vision, if it is not already in your agenda, should be there now. That resolution, dear friends, called for an integrated whole-of-government approach, stronger cross-sector partnerships, targeted financing, especially for developing countries, and the consideration of eye health in Voluntary National Reviews, VNRs. It explicitly linked better eye health with progress on health, education, gender equality, decent work, reduced inequalities, and sustainable cities. It also shows us what coordinated delivery requires. Health ministries must work with education, labor, transport, social protection, and finance. I can see from the audience here that we have that integrated group here. Primary healthcare systems must connect with schools, workplaces, and communities. Governments must collaborate with persons with visual impairments and with civil society researchers, philanthropy, and the private sector. This is also SDG 17 in practice. Road safety is one concrete example. Approximately 1.19 million people die in road traffic crashes every year. Vision testing and timely access to corrective care are not the entire solution, but they are practical and often overlooked components of safer transport systems. For the LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, the need for coordination is especially urgent. Workforce shortages, high costs, geographic isolation, and fragmented services can turn treatable conditions into lifelong exclusion. Guided by the call at the heart of today's event to act, allocate, and to accelerate, allow me to offer 3 overarching priorities to guide our discussions, and I shall be brief. First, we must act by effectively integrating eye health across universal health coverage, primary healthcare, and national development planning. This means moving beyond isolated interventions and embedding eye health throughout the life course, from vision screening in schools and workplaces to accessible treatment, rehabilitation, and assistive technologies. The idea of having this included also in VNR, I think, should not be lost, and I think we should pursue that. Second, we must allocate sufficient resources to train and deploy the eye health workforce. Make screening and treatment affordable, expand access to spectacles and other assistive technologies, strengthen the supply of essential equipment and medicines, and improve the data needed to plan services and measure results. Development partners must also direct greater financial and technical support towards countries where needs are greatest and health systems face the most severe constraints. Finally, we must accelerate the delivery of proven interventions through stronger partnerships, innovations, and accountability. The St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health, introduced today— it will be introduced today— can provide a shared framework for that collective effort. I would like to congratulate and commend the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for convening the first Global Summit for Eye Health later this year in November, that will offer a vital opportunity to translate ambition into measurable national and institutional commitments. Let us arrive at that summit ready to act, ready to allocate, and ready to accelerate. Above all, let us treat eye health not as one more sectoral demand, but as proof that coordinated SDG delivery can work and that collective action can transform lives. You can count— you can continue to count on my full support and that of my office in championing this important agenda and advocating for the partnerships, investment, and coordinated action needed to achieve vision for all. I thank you once again for accommodating me. Thank you, everyone.

Thank you so much, Your Excellency. Thank you for giving that keynote address, and thank you for your ongoing and sustained commitment to this issue. Safe travels, and we'll see you on the return. Okay, now we'll come back to our program with the opening remarks by other co-hosts, and it's my pleasure to invite His Excellency Mr. Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda, and a man who needs no introduction on this issue. He's a co-chair of the UN Friends of Vision Group, and he's going to deliver his opening remarks. Mic on.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Fergal Ambassador, my friend. And I want to express my very sincere thanks to USG Fatima, a very dedicated, very strong supporter of the work of the Friends. As we said, a founder and someone who has never deviated, always great suggestions. Very engaged in the suggestion on eye screening in the UN, and very much her suggestion for us to go forward with the unfinished business of a day vision is something we would look into. Excellencies, distinguished guests, and colleagues, once again, good afternoon. On behalf of the United Nations Friends of Vision, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this high-level political forum. I extend my appreciation and sincere thanks to my fellow co-chairs, both Ireland and Bangladesh, for their continued leadership and partnership in this group's work. Since its establishment, the Friends of Vision has worked to place eye health firmly on the global development agenda. That collective effort led to the landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution on vision for everyone. 5 years later, our challenge is no longer making the case for eye health. That's been done. It is, Excellencies, colleagues, it is delivering on the commitment that we have already made. is one such solution. It demonstrates how integrated action can accelerate progress across the SDGs. That is why my government, Antigua and Barbuda, is proud to host the Global Summit on Eye Health on the 2nd of November instant. The summit will bring together governments and partners. It strengthens implementation, mobilizes commitments, and reinforces accountability for Vision for Everyone. Colleagues, today I am honored and deeply honored to officially launch the St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health. The Compact, my friends, is the principal outcome document of the Global Summit for Eye Health. At that— at the heart of the Compact is the 1 Billion Pledge. Together, we commit to reach more than 1 billion people. I'll say that again. Together, we commit to reach more than 1 billion people living with avoidable vision impairment and expanding access to eye care for these people, because in most countries in the world, particularly in developing countries, access is limited and in some cases nonexistent. The Compact provides a sharp— a shared framework for government government and partners to accelerate implementation of the United Nations resolution and vision for everyone. Developed with the technical collaboration of our friends from WHO and grounded in existing United Nations and World Health Assembly mandates. The Compact, it is aligned with leadership, financing partnership, and accountability around a common goal. The Compact, colleagues, creates no new obligations. It helps us deliver more effectively on the commitment and promise we have already made. I invite all governments and partners to endorse this Compact. Join us in advancing the, the 1 Billion Pledge and help us turn global ambition into measurable national action. Let us use today's Forum to act and allocate and accelerate together in support of the elimination of avoidable sight loss and the Sustainable Development Goals. Friends, colleagues, I look forward to welcoming many of you, if not all of you, to Antigua and Barbuda this November. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Ambassador Webster, and thank you for your sustained leadership, but also really driving this summit in November in beautiful St. John's and the Global Compact, and we'll be hearing more about that during the rest of this afternoon's session. I now hand the floor to our fellow co-host, Ambassador Norman Chowdhury of Bangladesh, who is also co-chair of the UN Friends of Vision Group. Ambassador.

Thank you, Ambassador Maitland. It is always a pleasure to be with you, along with Ambassador Watson, to as we congregate here on a very important issue, which is an important part of this development discourse. Excellencies, at a time when our SDG goals are severely off track, this year's HLPF provides us yet another opportunity to reenergize our conviction to reach the target by linking targeted actions with tangible results. Today, we will examine how strong partnership and integrated approach can accelerate implementation of the SDGs. We have identified eye vision as an important element of growth. Good eye vision has impact on good health, education, road safety, financial empowerment, social inclusion, and poverty alleviation. In today's world, irrespective of the groups which we belong to, our common goal is to achieve sustainable development or retain the development that we have already achieved. Since half of the vision impairment cases are preventable, a small push can help immense results. Excellencies, in Bangladesh, we recognize eye health as an important component of universal health coverage and a critical enabler of sustainable development. At the national level, we are strengthening community-based primary eye care. We have expanded screening, improved referral services, and increased access to cataract surgery. And corrective lenses. These initiatives will have synergies in health, education, transport, labor, and social protection. At the global level, cooperation and coordination remain equally important. Bangladesh is proud to have associated with the adoption of the landmark UNGA resolution on vision for everyone in I am also pleased to announce that Bangladesh has expressed its interest to be a co-host of the first Global Eye Summit to be held in Antigua and Barbuda on 2nd November 2026. We are also looking forward to the high-level meeting on global road safety later this month, where we are looking forward to strong emphasis on good eye vision in order to ensure safety in roads. Excellencies, Bangladesh calls on the international community to increase investment in eye health, support countries to strengthen national eye care systems, integrate eye health into primary healthcare and NCT programs, and ensure equal access to quality eye care for women and girls, persons with disabilities, older persons, and people living in rural and remote areas. Let us work together to ensure that no one is left behind just because of avoidable eye loss. I thank you, Excellencies.

Thank you very much, Ambassador, and congratulations, and thank you for really setting out that word of empowerment. It's both personal empowerment but also societal economic empowerment that's really, really important here, and that issue of actually adding to growth and sustainable development. I'd now like to give the floor to Her Excellency Miss Simantini Persaud, Deputy Ambassador of Guyana, for your remarks. Thank you, Ambassador.

Thank you, Ambassador Fergal. Excellencies, colleagues, distinguished guests, Guyana is pleased to join Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Group of Friends of Vision for today's event on advancing eye health as a driver of sustainable development. I also take this opportunity to commend the group for the sustained work on this matter, which has yielded results that we can all be proud of. Eye health is too often overlooked despite its profound impact on overall health and well-being, education, economic productivity, Gender equality and poverty reduction. It is foundational to development, and failure to invest in eye health means leaving millions behind. Good vision, as we heard, is also critical to road safety. The Government of Guyana understands the critical importance of eye health and has integrated access to essential eye care into our primary health system. The National Eye Testing and Spectacle Vouchers Program is enabling access to free eye examinations and financial support for spectacles. Since its introduction, the program has supported early diagnosis of conditions such as cataract, glaucoma, and diabetes, allowing for earlier medical intervention. Investments in digital health, telemedicine, and government outreaches are extending specialist services, including eye care, to rural and hinterland communities in Guyana. Against this backdrop, Guyana is pleased to join as a co-host for the Global Summit for Eye Health to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in November this year. The summit is an opportunity to strengthen political leadership, mobilize commitments, and accelerate coordinated implementation through partnerships towards meaningful action for millions of people living with avoidable sight loss. I'm also pleased and proud to announce that Guyana will be among the first to endorse the St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health. Recognizing it as a voluntary framework that strengthens collaboration, aligns action, and supports implementation of Vision for Everyone. We look forward to working with the Summit co-hosts, with WHO, and international partners to ensure that everyone everywhere can access the eye care that they need. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador Tushala. Thank you for those commitments on behalf of Guyana. in relation to the summit in November. We now turn from the broader policy context to a practical examination or example of coordinated SDG implementation. So I'm glad to introduce a special address from Mr. Jean Todt, the UNSG Special Envoy for Road Safety. His leadership has helped elevate road safety as a global development priority and provides an important introduction to our discussion on the role of i-Health in reducing road traffic deaths and injuries. So now I invite colleagues to turn their attention to the screen for his video message.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, every year 50 million people are injured on the world's roads. 1.2 million people are killed. Road crashes are the number one killer of young people aged 5 to 29. As the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, I've seen far too many communities torn apart because of these tragedies. Nearly all of them were entirely preventable. I call it a silent pandemic. Road safety and eye health are closely connected. Poor vision increases crash risk by nearly 50%. Up to 85% of drivers in low- and middle-income countries may be licensed without any form of vision assessment. For a child crossing a road at night, this can be a death sentence. If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we must have strong coordinated action from all sectors. Fortunately, we already know what works: vision screening, access to affordable corrective lenses and cataract surgery, are simple, cost-effective solutions that directly make roads safer. The General Assembly resolution Vision for Everyone makes clear the importance of integrating health and mobility policies. What we need now is implementation at scale. Some Member States are showing what is possible. In India, the RARI program is providing vision screenings and affordable eyeglasses to over a million commercial drivers. Since 2022, Ghana has required a head test for everyone applying for new or renewed driver's licenses. These are both good starts, but with millions of lives still at risk, we need much greater ambition from member states, cities, and industry. Simple improvements such as better nighttime lighting on city roads can make a serious difference. As we approach the High-Level Meeting on Road Safety later this month, we have an opportunity to strengthen our commitment to practical, life-saving action. Together, let us expand access to healthcare, improve road visibility, and prevent avoidable loss of life. Time to wake up this silent enemy. I thank you. Thank you.

Very good. Thank you, USG John Todd. And I think the important point there is how many of these ideas are not cost-heavy. They're very practical and simple, straightforward, and can make a big, big difference. And I want to turn to our second segment, which is From Fragmentation to Integration. And using road safety as a practical example, this segment will explore how integrated approaches to eye health can strengthen progress across the SDGs. We're looking forward to hearing from our speakers, and in this regard, we'd like to invite our speakers to focus and reflect on the following questions. Firstly, we know that eye health affects education, employment, road safety, and economic growth. So how do we still struggle to integrate this into our policies and systems that shape these outcomes? And secondly, what can the partnerships we've built in road safety teach us about overcoming this fragmentation So with that, I want to introduce our first speaker, His Excellency Mr. Peter Huljany, Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic. As co-facilitator of the UN High-Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety, Slovakia is help shaping the next global framework on road safety. So over to you, Ambassador. Thank you.

Thank you, Excellency. Thank you, Ambassador. Thank you, Fergal. First of all, for including this topic to today's event and discussion. As we heard just now from Jean Todt, these 2 issues are closely connected. So I think it's— and it's very timely because we are in the process of concluding the progress declaration.

Yes.

I will start with a personal remark. About 6 months ago, together with Kyrgyz Ambassador, we were entrusted by PGA to facilitate the UN Road Safety Agenda. 6 months ago, I have to admit, my perception of road safety was rather stereotypical. Typical. First, being a driver and pedestrian and cyclist, like many of you, for decades, I was considering myself as a natural expert on road safety. And second, I assumed that, you know, since everyone wants safer roads, facilitating this process would be very easy. I quickly realized that both two assumptions were wrong. The issue is, first of all, much more complex and interests of stakeholders are much more diverse. So allow me now to make 3 brief remarks that are coming from this 6-month experience. Experience very briefly. First, on complexity. There is no single owner of the road safety agenda. It requires a whole-of-government approach, including health, of course. At the same time, we need a whole-of-society approach, and the important question remains, who should be the champion? And we suppose the higher in the hierarchy, the better for the topic, for the road safety. Second, on financing. SDG Target 3.6 aims to halve the number of road traffic deaths by 2030. Reaching this goal requires many things. Education, effective enforcement, and above all, adequate funding. We already have valuable instruments, including, for example, the UN Road Safety Fund and the World Bank's Global Road Safety Facility. Slovakia has supported these initiatives from the very beginning. We were among the first contributors. And just a few days ago, we announced another modest contribution to the UN Road Safety Fund. But we all know that international funding alone is not enough, and it must be complemented by domestic investment and not only governments, but also by the private sector. My last and third point goes to achievability. We already know, and again, Jean Todt mentioned it, we already know what works. There are so-called low-cost measures with a proven impact. There are basically 5: increasing the use of helmets, seat belts, child restraints, reducing speeding, and preventing drink driving. And there are long-term investments. Such as safer urban planning and better standards for roads and vehicles. But what is very important and what is a very important aspect of the road safety is health of the road users. Good vision and eye health contribute significantly to safer roads. Therefore, we are very pleased that we managed to incorporate into the progress declaration, this topic, that is currently under negotiation. All in all, the challenge is no longer to find solutions, the challenge is to implement them, and we believe that this is achievable. So thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you very much, Ambassador Peter, and I think we all sometimes have that idea that a process can be straightforward and not difficult, and there we go. It's the UN, so welcome to the UN.

Thank you.

Okay, but great work and best of luck in bringing it to a conclusion. I'd now like to invite another great friend of our group, Mr. Werner Obermeyer, Director of the World Health Organization Office at the UN Headquarters here in New York. Over.

Thank you very much, Ambassador Mathen. It's really been a privilege to work with the ambassadors of Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan on the outcome document of the Road Safety High-Level Meeting. They have shown tremendous leadership across many sectors that were lobbying for their priorities to be included, and eye health as he said, is very well reflected. Allow me just a small trip down memory lane since I have a framed copy of the resolution that Rahab mentioned in my office. I was privileged to work with the 3 ambassadors at the time to get that resolution through the General Assembly and may I therefore say that We support from my office about 10 groups of friends here in New York. This group, the Vision Group, has been led by Bangladesh, Ireland, and Antigua and Barbuda since the beginning. They are one of the few groups that always have the same leadership and one of the few groups where the 3 persons or the ambassadors have bought into this agenda, so my gratitude to all 3 of you for your leadership. In this important area. The resolution that was mentioned actually links eye health to the Sustainable Development Agenda, and I think that's important because if we look at how we achieve the objectives, not only in 3.6, but the other goals that are also related to eye health and road safety, It shows that a multi-sectoral approach is necessary. We need to involve obviously the education, employment, but also the transportation sectors in addressing the scourge of road safety, and we also need other partners, not only from governments but also from philanthropy and stakeholders which are in this room. So WHO coordinates the UN system's response to road safety. We were given that mandate by the General Assembly quite some time ago. We are now in the second decade for action on road safety through which the United Nations works on this topic, and the upcoming high-level meeting on road safety, but particularly the Global Summit for Eye Health, will be standalone opportunities to highlight this agenda, I think, not only from the government side or the UN side, but all the civil society organizations that will gather here in less than 2 weeks, actually, in New York. We have been very grateful to support Antigua and Barbuda and partners in preparing for the Global Summit, to work on the compact and ensure that there are good linkages with all the World Health Assembly mandates, so this is not something that, as has been said by Ambassador Webster, that is a new document. It is a reinforcement of already agreed commitments, and that is always very important in politics because the more you say something, the truer it becomes, and more people are reminded of their commitments, they actually then implement what they should be doing. Let me say we are looking forward to not only the summit, but also the summit projecting the 1 billion target into the next General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, which will be in 2027, because universal access to eye health is actually what we should be striving for to make this 1 billion target a reality. That would be, from my side, the contribution of WHO. We are very grateful to have been invited and you can count on our support going forward, not only for the November meeting, the summit in Antigua and Barbuda, but also for the Universal Health Coverage high-level meeting next year. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Werner, and really important to have that synergy between what we're doing and the work of the World Health Organization, really, really important. It's now my pleasure to welcome Mr. Dino Correll of the ILO Office for the United Nations. The ILO has helped elevate eye health as an important component of the decent work agenda, so the floor is yours. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. Protecting workers' health includes protecting their vision. Vision impairment affects at least 143 million working-age adults globally, while an estimated 13 million people are living with work-related vision impairment. The annual productivity loss associated with vision impairment has already been mentioned. As workers— as workforces age globally, supporting workers' to maintain healthy vision throughout their working lives will become increasingly important for labor force participation, productivity, and inclusive economic growth. Let me highlight 3 key points. First, eye health should be recognized as an integral component of occupational safety and health systems. This is essential not only to prevent workplace eye injuries but also to address naturally occurring vision loss that can compromise worker safety, productivity, and performance. Commercial drivers and other workforce— workers whose work demands the use of vehicles illustrate why an integrated OSH approach is critical. Protecting their vision requires coordinated action across the labour and health sectors, transport systems, licensing authorities, eye care providers, and inspection systems. Evidence shows that regular vision assessments assessments, timely correction of visual impairments, and access to affordable and appropriate spectacles improve driving performance and contribute to prevention. Second, no single actor can deliver workers' eye health alone. Progress depends on partnerships between governments, employers and workers' organizations, occupational health professionals, eye care providers, the transport sector, and development partners. The ILO's collaboration with IAPB on eye health and the world of work demonstrates how integrated approaches can strengthen worker safety, road safety, and productivity. Finally, continued progress will depend on stronger collaboration across the labour, health, transport, and development sectors, together with sustained investment in worker health and well-being. The upcoming Global Summit for Eye Health provides an important opportunity to strengthen OSH systems while reinforcing existing global commitments. By working together, we can ensure that healthy vision remains central to decent work, safer mobility, and sustainable economies.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Carel. Thank you for giving us the ILO perspective. And again, we're seeing the, the, the need for integrated approaches across across the UN system. But that also leads me on now to our next speaker, and it's a pleasure to introduce Ms. Kathleen Sherwin, President and CEO of Orbis International. Ms. Sherwin joins us today on behalf of the global eye health community, representing the critical role that civil society can play in turning policy into action. So, the floor is yours. Thank you.

Thank you, Chair, so much. Good afternoon, Excellencies and honored guests. Civil society has an absolute critical role to play. We connect governments and clinicians and private sector altogether. And at Orbis, we've learned that lasting progress means strengthening systems, not just delivering individual projects. And I think there's 4 ways that civil society can help in this instance. I'll use an example that Ambassador Chaudhry well knows. We often generate evidence for governments to use, or at least we try to. And road safety is one great example. So Orbis led the first systematic review of commercial drivers in low- and middle-income countries, and we found that people with vision impairment faced nearly a 50% higher risk of road traffic crashes. IAPB's Vision Atlas, of course, estimates that scaling proven eye health interventions can prevent nearly 6,000 road traffic deaths and more than 200,000-plus injuries by 2030. So evidence really only matters when you translate that into actual action. So in Bangladesh, Orbis and our partners examined 700 commercial bus drivers across 7 districts. And the findings were pretty striking. 1 in 5 drivers did not meet national vision standards. And 90% of those drivers could have had their sight restored in an affordable manner, whether that— and so, untreated drivers, we also learned, were more than twice as likely to report a crash. So, the lesson is very clear that road safety is also an eye health issue. The second is civil society. turns evidence into implementation. In Bangladesh, every driver that participated in this study received a full eye exam, treatment, or referral, and had access to affordable vision care. And so, today, we're working with the government and sector partners to strengthen vision screening for commercial drivers, from licensing to renewals to improving referrals. And we actually even have vision centers at the source of these transportation hubs. So, this is just a wonderful example of health system strengthening in practice. The third is civil society convenes partnerships that no single institution can, right? We bring together governments, the private sector, civil society, and clinicians together. And finally, civil society helps countries scale what works. So, I think for today, it's— that's why it's so important you see so many civil society partners here here at the table chair that we believe deeply in the Global Compact for Eye Health. We believe deeply in the Global Summit for Eye Health. We hope that the summit with civil society will be able to turn pledges into implementation, scale, and impact. And as the Ambassador from Slovakia said, we know what the solutions are. They already exist. And so, really, right now, it's moving from fragmentation to integration or from isolated projects to coordinated delivery. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Kathleen, and thanks for bringing up that civil society perspective. And as you say, we know that— we know the solutions now, we just need to act. And I suppose that brings us on to our 3rd and final segment, which is Act, Allocate, Accelerate. Love the alliteration, but a call to action. And I think it's really how we consider how partnerships and coordinated approaches we've heard about can be scaled up across the wider development agenda. On the 2nd of November 2026, as we've heard from Ambassador Webster, governments and partners will come together in Antigua and Barbuda for the first Global Summit for Eye Health to strengthen partnerships, mobilize commitments, and accelerate implementation. And as we've also heard today, the St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health will help guide this collective effort beyond the summit, and that's the important point. So today also marks the opening of the Global Call for Endorsements. Governments and partners across all sectors are being invited to join this shared effort. So I'm glad today that we are joined by a number of the summit's champion governments and partners who will share their perspectives on advancing this agenda. So to kick off, I invite Her Excellency the Deputy Permanent Representative of Romania to take the floor. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ambassador and Excellencies. Thank you for this opportunity to address this very important topic for Romania. The Global Summit for Eye Health and the Global Compact for Eye Health both provide unique platforms to unite governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Around a common vision, one that delivers lasting progress through partnership, shared responsibility, and sustained action. And I really want to take this opportunity to share with all of you some of the key figures of the Romanian government's involvement in combating site loss and site damage. So with your indulgence, I will read through the paper. To provide some context, Firstly, in Romania, about 3.4 million people have eye conditions, which is almost 1 in 5 people in the total population. Of these, 60,000 are blind. Romania supported the WHO resolution on integrated people-centered eye care, recognizing vision as a core component of universal health coverage. Eye care is integrated in Romania's universal health coverage system. With services delivered through hospitals and family doctors serving as the first point of contact. A consistent part from the National Health Strategy from 2026 to 2030, currently under consideration, is dedicated to the promotion of eye health. By focusing on digital transformation, Romania seeks to create a more integrated, patient-centered healthcare environment. My country undertakes regularly public awareness campaigns, The current one, Take Care of Your Eyes, offers free consultations and accessible prices for the population with limited financial means. The Romanian Society for Ophthalmology and Romanian Glaucoma Society are focusing on the silent evolution of conditions like glaucoma by supporting specialized centers of excellence and improving patient education. Clinics and hospitals are adopting artificial intelligence software to swiftly screen and detect conditions like diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Another campaign, Don't Lose Your Eyesight, aims to inform the public about the causes, signs, and ways to prevent degenerative eye conditions. 90% of eye conditions can be treated if detected early, and this is a very important figure to take with us. Collaboration between government, universities, professional societies, and civil society has advanced initiatives such as cataract surgery campaigns, school-based vision screening pilots, and programs for children with disabilities. International cooperation and the exchange of practical experience remain important in supporting national efforts to address these challenges. Romania has demonstrated its commitment to advancing the global eye health agenda, including through support for the appointment of a United Nations Special Envoy on Vision to accelerate implementation on Vision for Everyone. Romania welcomes the Global Summit for Eye Health as an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation and translate shared political ambition into practical national and institutional commitments. Romania looks forward to working alongside fellow member states and partners to sustain momentum and accelerate progress towards universal access to eye care. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ambassador Amalia. I now want to give the floor to Ambassador Sofian Abd Karim, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Mission of Malaysia. The floor is yours.

Thank you. Thank you, Ambassador. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by thanking the co-sponsors of this side event, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, and Ireland, and the UN Friends of Vision for convening us today. It is a pleasure to join you in advancing the eye health agenda. Allow me to contribute by making 3 points for discussion today. First, I would like to highlight the scale of the challenges before us. More than 1.1 billion people live with avoidable sight loss. This makes it not only a health issue, but a pressing matter of equity and sustainable development. Cost-effective interventions exist, yet access to it remains uneven. Second, I would like to briefly share what Malaysia is doing at the national level. From our experience, integrated, people-centered eye care is essential to universal health coverage. Our Ministry of Health leads national initiatives such as the National Eye Survey and the National Eye Database. These initiatives generate the evidence that in turn guides our policymaking. Furthermore, our Ministry's mobile cataract clinics bring affordable care directly to those who need it, especially in rural areas. We are now developing a national eye health plan to ensure eye care is part of our national healthcare framework. Third, I would like to emphasize the importance of global partnership. National action alone is not enough. Malaysia therefore welcomes the Global Compact for Eye Health, as a framework for international partnership, coordination, and collective action. We see the Compact as an important milestone on the road to the Global Summit for Eye Health later this year. In closing, Malaysia stands ready to act, allocate, and accelerate together with all partners to advance our shared goals. Thank you for listening.

Thank you, Ambassador Karim. I now welcome Ms. Lídia Nabech, Political Coordinator for the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the UN. Let me see if I can turn this off.

It's on.

Okay.

Excellencies, Thank you, colleagues. Portugal is pleased to join this important discussion, and we commend Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, and Ireland, as well as the Friends of Vision, for keeping eye health high on the multilateral agenda. We fully agree that eye health should not be seen as a standalone issue, but as an enabler of sustainable development. It contributes to better health, education, decent work, social inclusion, and safer mobility, while supporting the broader objective of leaving no one behind. We welcome the presentation of the Global Compact for Eye Health and expect it to have a very important contribution in advancing eye health, particularly because it sets out voluntary targets to assist countries while being aligned with existing WHO frameworks. Portugal remains committed to promoting equitable access to eye care, through its public health system with a focus on prevention, early diagnosis, and people-centered care. Let me tell you that as a direct beneficiary of this coverage, I can testify to the importance, life-changing particularity that is the affordable vision correction and eye surgery. So we also attach particular importance to international cooperation and capacity building. An example of this is this meeting we are having, where very important elements and interesting forward-looking strategies have been put forward. We hope the Summit and the Compact will help accelerate implementation of the Vision for Everyone agenda and translate shared ambition into practical, measurable progress by 2030.

I thank you.

Thank you, Portugal, and I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Mission of Greece to take the floor. Thank you.

Thank you, Ambassador, Excellencies, colleagues. It's a pleasure to participate in today's discussion on the vital importance of eye health as an integral component of universal health coverage and sustainable development, Greece firmly believes that promoting eye health begins with prevention, early detection, health education, and equitable access to quality healthcare services, particularly for children and adolescents. In this context, the Greek Ministry of Health has made eye health a key element of its national primary healthcare and prevention strategy. Through the DIONY program, as it's called, implemented nationwide since the 2022-2023 school year, multidisciplinary primary healthcare teams visit schools across the country to provide preventive health services to children and adolescents. Vision screening and basic ophthalmological assessment constitute an important component of these visits. The program seeks not only to identify health problems at an early stage, but also to strengthen the relationship between families and primary healthcare services, improve coordination among healthcare providers, and establish a comprehensive community-based approach to children's health and well-being. In parallel, Greece has implemented since 2020 a nationwide school-based health education initiative entitled Eye Hygiene and Vision Protection: I Love My Eyes. The program aims to raise awareness among primary and secondary school students about healthy eye care practices, the prevention of avoidable eye injuries, and the importance of protecting vision throughout life. These initiatives reflect Greece's conviction that investing in prevention and health promotion during childhood yields lifelong benefits for individuals and society alike. As we work collectively to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, strengthening eye health services, integrating vision care into primary healthcare, and expanding preventive programs should remain shared priorities. No child should face barriers to learning, development, or participation in society because of preventable or treatable vision impairment. Greece welcomes international cooperation in advancing eye health and commends all partners working to ensure that quality eye care becomes accessible to everyone, everywhere. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Greece. And now, finally in this segment, I want to give the floor to Ms. Caitlin McGuire, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Restoring Vision. and former Permanent Representative of Grenada. Welcome back. The floor is yours.

Thank you, Ambassador Fergal. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished delegates, immense thanks to the co-chairs, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, and Ireland, for bringing us here together today and convening us on a very important topic that is near and dear to us. Everybody who knows me, eye health has somehow been in my life. I always say it's in my DNA. Because I am the daughter of an ophthalmologist and assistant ophthalmologist, so maybe an ophthalmologist adjacent. But again, also, I would also like to give a special commendation to Antigua and Barbuda and recognizing, I know we had USG Fatima earlier here today, but I also want to make a special mention of my dear brother and friend, Ambassador Aubrey Webson. You have been here at the beginning and brought us on this journey where we are now at the cusp of a historic defining moment for global eye health. Special thanks and commendation to you, Ambassador Watson. Last but not least, but I don't think we could have a summit without them, is our co-hosts. We hopefully would have more co-hosts coming on board, but again, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Guyana, and Nigeria already confirmed as co-hosts, but we expect hopefully More will be coming on board soon. But with that, and of course, the WHO, the technical collaboration, and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, who has been also on this journey with us from the very, very beginning. So thank you very much. So, distinguished delegates, I know we are short on time, so I'll try to get through this very curtly. So from today's discussion, I think it is clear At this juncture that we find ourselves, the numbers have done their work. You know, the question now is whether we will do ours. The gap is no longer evidence. It really and truly boils down to execution. 5 years ago— and I say it's a mere 5 years ago, to tell you the truth, because now we're about to have a Global Summit— the General Assembly adopted its first-ever resolution on vision, and that act, I would say, was not a health footnote. It was a development decision. Vision sits at the intersection of health and the economy. You know what we at Restoring Vision call visionomics?

You can use that term, you know.

When a person can see, they learn, they work, they provide, they drive safely, they stay independent, contributing to the achievement of at least 8 Sustainable Development Goals. Vision is not a cost line, it is a multiplier. As we enter what we like to say is the last mile of Agenda 2030, I just think there's 3 points I would like to make here today before we move on. First, the Global Summit for Eye Health in Antigua this November is not separate from the UN processes. We have to see it as an enabler of the UN processes, a platform to turn the resolution on vision from mandate into the measurable commitments, deliberate, intentional, and ready to feed back into these processes at the UN, especially, of course, the voluntary national reviews. Second, commitments without capital are just aspirations. I've heard some ambassadors and some prime ministers have said in the past, when they have to give an intervention, everybody's like, what would be the one thought you want to leave us here with today? They'll be like, okay, it's only 3 words, 3 words I'll leave you: financing, financing, financing. We cannot underscore that enough. That is why I am very excited on this journey, and I say it all the time, that we're on this road to the summit for the emerging World Bank, and I think recently launched World Bank iHealth Trust Fund, which sits within the Health Systems Transformation and Resilience Multidonor Trust Fund, and why that matters. That's catalytic capital aligned with country systems, unlocking multiples of larger financing, including IDA, working in tandem with the SDGs and the Summit's own commitments. Financing, really and truly, that multiplies. I cannot forget, and I think we should never forget, when we speak about concessional financing, to continue to advocate for the use of the multidimensional vulnerability Index. For countries that have graduated from concessional finance, the constraint really and truly is fiscal space, and the MVI, if taken forward, offers a pathway to better align financing with actual need. In that sense, it becomes a further multiplier. Lastly, I think we already know what scale looks like, and at Restoring Vision, we see it every day. Delivery works when it and financing flows through the existing system. For example, in Nigeria, we're partnering with other partners in the Presidential Vision Initiative, together with the government of Nigeria, because it's President Tinubu's presidential initiative, where over 1.3 million pairs of glasses reached people through the primary health system in just 12 months. Two-thirds of them, for the first time, they received eyeglasses, and again, a pipeline now towards 5 million. Scale is not a mystery; it is a decision, and we have less than 5 years to 2030. I ask every government in this room, and please, every government in this room, let's have a chain effect. Go speak to other governments and those who are watching it on web TV and all the partners here today. Please also endorse the St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health. Come to Antigua not with mere aspirations, but with commitments, because the summit is not the finish line, it is the launchpad. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Acacia, for those inspiring words. There's clearly something about the Caribbean when it comes to this agenda, but no, really, really fantastic. Fantastic. We're just now going to— it's been a long but I think very productive and very energetic meeting. We're going to conclude with some final remarks, and therefore it's my pleasure to welcome Ms. Katie Overbay, Chief Executive Officer of Cure Blindness Project and also Chair of the IAPB Global Summit Committee. So the floor is yours. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. Excellencies and distinguished guests, on behalf of Cure Blindness Project, the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness, and the Global Summit Committee, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to all member states, United Nations agencies, partners, and colleagues for your leadership and engagement today. As chair of the Global Summit for Eye Health Program Committee, I want to acknowledge that the summit is not the beginning of this journey. It's the result of years of leadership by the UN Friends of Vision, its co-chairs, champion countries, and the many governments and partners who've worked tirelessly to elevate eye health across the UN and the global development agenda. In particular, I'd like to acknowledge today the leadership of the host countries of the Global Summit for Eye Health: Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Guyana, and also Nigeria, as well as the partnership of the WHO. On behalf of the global eye health community, thank you all for bringing us to this moment. Today's discussion reflects the leadership of the governments, UN partners, and the many organizations that have championed the UN Friends of Vision and helped build eye health into a recognized global development priority. And the momentum created here must now carry forward through the commitments, partnerships, and collaboration that will define the road to the Global Summit for Eye Health. As Chair of the Global Summit Program Committee, I look forward to working with all governments and partners over the coming months as we prepare for the Global Summit and support the implementation of the St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health. And as CEO of Cure Blindness Project, I commit our organization's support to the St. John's Global Compact for Eye Health. To everyone supporting this agenda around the world, I encourage you to consider how your government or organization can contribute through commitments, partnerships, innovation, financing, research, or technical expertise to help translate today's momentum into lasting impact. The time is now, and committed action is needed. The global eye health community stands ready to work alongside governments to help translate today's ambition into measurable progress for the 1 billion people who still lack access to the eye care they need. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Overby. And I also want to acknowledge the role of Nigeria. I don't know if there are any representatives from Nigeria. I'm not— I don't think there are, but just really important role there in coming on as co-hosts. I just want to acknowledge that. And now finally, I want to hand over the floor back to His Excellency Ambassador Noman Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh, to formally bring our discussion to a close. Ambassador.

Thank you, Ambassador. The discussions that has given us a clear message that eye health is— the vision impairment is really a preventable issue. We have 2 billion people suffering from vision impairment and at least half of them, half of the cases are preventable. When we talk about this, I can relate to my own experience in my childhood. I come from a part of Dhaka city where kite flying is a part— is a kind of pride in our childhood, and we used to fly kites with one color, and the other part of the city, they also flew kites with another color, and so the contest was to cutting the kites. We actually, in all weekends, the entire day we used to fly kites in midday. So that was very bad for our vision, and by the age of 10, all of us were wearing glasses. So this is what happens when there is not much of awareness in society. So what has happened, I was not playing any hard games because they would not take me into their teams. They would always put me in as an extra. So I did not have a healthy growth in my childhood. So that was the case. And in my schools also, I did not see the blackboards. So that was another challenge for me. And Kate, you mentioned about that 1 out of 5 drivers in Bangladesh did not meet the national requirement. I am one of those until my cataract operation. So after my cataract operation, my wife and my friends are now safe if I drive. So this is what happened. So we had this very interesting discussion today, and I'm thankful to all the panelists, all the keynote speakers for their very insightful remarks and very exciting and enlightening discussion. And I think we are going towards a direction that, as you mentioned, that it will be the launching pad, the iHealth Summit, in Antigua and Barbuda, where 4 countries have decided to co-host and some more countries may come up. So we look forward that we are on the right side. And lastly, I would like to thank my co-hosts, the co-chairs, Ambassador Webster and Ambassador Fardil for their leadership in this case, and I thank all of you as I close.

Thank you. Thank you, Ambassador Noman, and I know you're making a very serious point there, but no better skill for a UN ambassador than to be able to fly kites. It's something we do fairly regularly. Just some very, very quick concluding remarks. Obviously, I want to express my, my deep appreciation to both Ambassador Nohman and Ambassador Aubery for their leadership role in, in this space and for bringing us to this point. And it is a point of launch as we head towards St. John's in November. A huge appreciation to all our speakers and contributors, our panelists. A really, really strong presentation today. Before we conclude, I want to draw your attention to the 2 QR codes on the screen, which I think, you know, one is for the commitment portal and the second is for the Compact endorsement. We'd really like you to engage with those. And I think just to encourage you all to, you know, as Ambassador Casey said, just to drive on, use this as a real moment of action in our respective systems back home. you know, public sector, private sector, and let's make a real success of November. I want to thank all our teams behind us myself. Our team is Shane and Aiveen, but also the team of Ambassador Aubrey and Ambassador Noman who put all this together, working very closely with the IABP. And just to thank you, it's my last meeting here. I will be moving on to another posting in August, but just be assured that Ireland will remain committed You have— we have continuity with Avian and Shane, and the new PR will drive this on and prepare strongly for St. John's in November. So thank you very much.

Thank you.