UN General Assembly marks global turning point for mental health research 

The 2025 United Nations (UN) General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health marked a historic moment for the field. For the first time, mental health stood at the centre of a United Nations Political Declaration, embedding research, investment and innovation as essential to the global NCD response. 

The declaration, “Equity and Integration: Transforming Lives and Livelihoods”, commits governments to expand access to mental health care for 150 million more people and to raise mental health spending from around 2% to at least 5% of health budgets by 2030.  

Countries pledged to scale up financial resources dedicated to mental health, strengthen research data and infrastructure, and build capacity across regions to ensure that evidence and innovation drive policy and practice. The declaration highlights the importance of implementation and community-based research, knowledge transfer and improved data systems to inform action that is grounded in equity and evidence.  

An important shift was the recognition of people with lived experience as essential partners in shaping mental health research and policy. Their voices were visible across the meeting, from national statements to civil society dialogues, reflecting a growing commitment to make research more inclusive, relevant and accountable to those most affected. At IAMHRF, we share this commitment and explore, through a dedicated working group, how lived experience can be embedded within the core of research and policy. 

While the Political Declaration received overwhelming support from UN Member States, it did not secure formal consensus endorsement at the meeting due to objections from a small minority. It will therefore proceed to a formal vote in the General Assembly in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, the draft declaration represents the most comprehensive global agreement to date on NCDs and mental health, which is an unprecedented alignment of political will, policy direction and measurable targets. 

At IAMHRF, we believe that progress depends on collective action. By uniting funders and sector leaders, we help shape targeted collaborations that address the cross-cutting challenges holding back mental health research. 

The commitments that emerged in New York echo this vision and emphasize the need for a joined up approach to evidence, sustainable financing and global coordination. 

Related

• Rethinking mental health financing through a systems lens (opinion piece by United for Global Mental Health)