In an increasingly anarchic global landscape, international law and norms are weakening, posing challenges to global governance. The legitimacy of international anchors of the global economy, such as the IMF, World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Bank, etc., is being questioned in an unpredictable global environment. These multilateral institutions have traditionally upheld Western-led globalization, but the rise of emerging economies demands equitable representation. It is crucial to reform the UN system to incorporate these changes and uphold global stability. Health, being central to peoples’ everyday lives and the legitimacy of national governments, presents an opportunity to re-evaluate the role of health equity in creating a fairer and ecologically sustainable world political order. The objectives of this sub-theme include elucidating key concepts that drive calls for reforming global governance for health and exploring experiences and interests in improving health governance.

Key questions for exploration within sub-theme 1:

1. What are the implications of global governance for health and how can they improve the overall health outcomes?
2. How can global governance for health be enhanced or transformed to address emerging challenges and promote health equity?