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Christina_BCNA's avatar
Christina_BCNA
Community Manager
2 months ago

🌍 Global Advocacy Win: Breast Cancer Named in UN Political Declaration 🎉

We’re excited to share a major milestone in BCNA's advocacy. Last week, the United Nations formally adopted the Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health - and through the advocacy work of BCNA, breast cancer is explicitly named in the final text 🎉

 

✨ Why this matters:

Although it might seem confusing for BCNA to focus our advocacy efforts overseas as well as in Australia, the UN declaration helps place critical attention on our own government's ongoing priorities for policy and investment issues that impact people affected by breast cancer. It also enshrines international accountability for supporting people living with breast cancer.

 

đź’Ş How BCNA made this happen:

In July, when breast cancer was missing from the draft UN Declaration, BCNA met with the Australian Ambassador to the UN and the Mission team in New York. We did this because something we know, after 27 years of advocating for people affected by breast cancer, is what is named gets attention, and what is not named is often overlooked.

Within 24 hours, we partnered with the Institute of Cancer Policy at King’s College London to produce evidence-based recommendations, informed by lived experience and global data. This paper helped shape Australia’s position, verified by Cancer Australia, DFAT, DoHA, and ministerial offices. In the final negotiations, Australia called for breast cancer to be named. No other country did. But once Australia spoke up, others followed. The result: breast cancer is now in the Declaration and people living with breast cancer in Australia are more empowered to keep speaking up and working towards strengthening our healthcare rights.

Thank you to all BCNA staff, partners, and the Australian Government for trusting us to lead this work. Your efforts made this global outcome possible.

 

📄 If you’re interested on what this all means from an impact perspective, you can read more:
👉UN Political Declaration: https://lnkd.in/gm8fV2MY
👉BCNA & Institute of Cancer Policy paper: https://lnkd.in/gQJcTTSf
👉BCNA takes your voice to the UN General Assembly: https://www.bcna.org.au/bcna-takes-your-voice-to-the-un-general-assembly

advocacy

3 Replies

  • Christina_BCNA's avatar
    Christina_BCNA
    Community Manager
    2 months ago

    Thank you Tri​ and iserbrown​ , though I can't personally take the credit myself haha! Breast cancer policy, advocacy and the patient experience is at the heart of everything we do here at BCNA. 

    This is an incredible achievement, and a real moment of hope. Wins like this only happen because people in our community keep showing up, speaking up, and pushing for change, and it matters to us more than words can say - it’s about real lives, real experiences, and real futures.

    We’re so grateful for everyone who contributed to this outcome, and for everyone who continues to support BCNA and the wider breast cancer community. Together we are stronger 💗

  • Tri's avatar
    Tri
    Member
    2 months ago

    CongratulationsChristina_BCNA​ this sounds like an exceptionally agile turnaround to get breast cancer in and a great use of Australian influence to highlight the gaps in to the UN statement (and how to fill them in).  Thank youBCNA​ for giving voice to people who have experienced and who are living with the consequences of this illness. I hope the international focus brings about improvements for people’s lives with better sharing of policy, advances in research and allocation of resources and international cooperation. A good result for 2025!  

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