NEW YORK – The event was organised in partnership with Finland, Somalia, Sudan, Switzerland, and Yemen, reflecting a growing global consensus on the critical intersection between health and peace.
In his keynote address, His Excellency Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, reaffirmed the Sultanate’s enduring commitment to dialogue, understanding, and cooperation – principles that remain central to Oman’s foreign policy. “Oman believes that health can serve as a bridge to peace, bringing communities together, strengthening mutual trust, and contributing to strengthening resilience in the face of conflict and fragility,” he stated.

His Excellency reiterated Oman’s full support for the Health for Peace Initiative Roadmap, pledging to integrate the ‘health and peace’ approach across all programmes to ensure they are inclusive, equitable, participatory, and sustainable.

He further emphasised that the initiative, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), calls for the design of health programs that not only save lives but also promote social cohesion and long-term stability.

Highlighting the ongoing challenges in conflict-affected regions, he noted that protracted crises, displacement, and weakened health systems continue to impact millions. Achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he warned, will be nearly impossible without a tailored response that both addresses the realities on the ground and enhances global capacity to deliver vital assistance.
He concluded by affirming Oman’s unwavering role as a bridge-builder among nations, striving to convert shared challenges into shared opportunities for a healthier, more peaceful world.

The event featured a series of expert-led presentations examining the multifaceted relationship between health and peace, as well as the role of international stakeholders in advancing this agenda.

Dr. Abdullah bin Hamoud Al Harthy, Advisor to the Minister of Health for International Cooperation Affairs, opened the session with a presentation on the links between health and peace and the role of the Sultanate of Oman in this field. This was followed by a presentation by Elizabeth Marie Speyer, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, in which she reviewed the efforts of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).

Dr. Mohamed Yacoub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, also gave a presentation focusing on the relationship between health and peace, while Dr. Asmus Hammerich, WHO Director for Noncommunicable Diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, addressed the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases in emergency settings and their link to peace and stability.

Dr. Inma Vazquez, Head of Humanitarian Diplomacy at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), poke on safeguarding healthcare and frontline workers during conflict, while Dr. Beth Stenschamp, a representative of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, concluded the series with a visual presentation on ‘The Role of Youth in the Global Initiative for Health and Peace’.
The dialogue culminated in renewed international commitments to integrate health and peace into national and global policy frameworks, alongside recommendations submitted to the UN General Assembly to support the global health and peace agenda.

It is worth noting that the Global Health and Peace Initiative (GHPI), a WHO-led effort, aims to bridge health programmes with peacebuilding strategies. It was launched jointly by the Sultanate of Oman and Switzerland in November 2019, following multilateral consultations in Geneva involving over 50 representatives from 24 countries and international partners.

In May 2024, WHO Member States adopted a formal resolution endorsing the initiative, marking a milestone after years of stakeholder engagement and roadmap development. Since then, WHO has been actively implementing GHPI across its workstreams and enhancing its integration into global health strategies.