APA’s activities at the UN

Explaining APA’s work to advance mental health and human rights

APA submitted comments (PDF, 271KB) to the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights explaining how professional organizations can advance normative and policy measures to advance the human rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities and current or potential users of mental health services. The comments showed how APA has utilized policies, guidelines, and advocacy to advance mental health-related human rights. For example, APA’s Council of Representatives has passed Resolutions supporting girls’ and women’s human rights globally and on evidence-based care for transgender, gender diverse, and nonbinary individuals (PDF, 90KB), APA staff have created Inclusive Language Guidelines, and APA Services have advocated for health equity and social justice. All of these initiatives advance the objectives of the WHO/OHCHR document on Mental health, human rights, and legislation: Guidance and practice.

Celebrating World Mental Health Day

On October 17, 2024, APA organized a celebration of World Mental Health Day with an event titled, Moving from Words to Action: Implementing the General Assembly Resolution (A/77/300) on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support. Co-hosted with the Permanent Missions to the UN of Mexico, Belgium, Romania, and Kuwait, as well as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and several NGO partners, the event featured comments from UN and civil society actors on the importance of the seminal Resolution being applied at national levels by governmental and civil society stakeholders. Speakers included many members of the Global Psychology Alliance and 2024 APA President Cynthia de las Fuentes, PhD, who provided closing remarks.

Participating in the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference

APA UN Representative Comfort Asanbe, PhD, coorganized a workshop combating youth mental health stigma at the 69th United Nations Civil Society Conference in Nairobi, Kenya (May 9-10, 2024). The workshop was coconducted by Matilda Mghoi, PhD, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Board of Counselors and Psychologists, and a Kenya-based youth group, Mzizi-Afriqa. Speakers discussed youth mental health globally and locally in Kenya, and presented a skit depicting the realities of Kenyan youth experiencing mental health challenges. The conference provided civil society’s primary opportunity to inform the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, to be held in New York in September, where the important Pact for the Future will be finalized. APA was delighted that mental health is included prominently in the conference outcome package.

Advocating for poverty prevention

APA joined with the European Federation of Psychologists Associations (EFPA) to submit a statement (PDF 131KB) to the 2024 ECOSOC High-level Segment, which will focus on the theme of "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions.” APA’s statement focused on the importance of prevention, drawing on behavioral science to address social determinants of health as root causes of poverty. The statement was also delivered orally and can be seen on UN Web TV.

Presenting on the importance of emotions to sustainability

On November 29, 2023, APA partnered with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lab, the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations, the Federation of Swiss Psychologists, and the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences to organize an event at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on “Emotions: A missing link towards long-term sustainability?” Part of the SDG Lab’s “So What’s Next” series, the event investigated the role of emotions in promoting sustainable behaviors. Speakers included psychologists and policymakers, who addressed three overarching questions:

• How can we better understand what motivates action?
• Which emotions are most likely to trigger prosustainability behaviors?
• How can this knowledge be applied to practical policymaking? 

Read more on the SDG Lab webpage.

Supporting General Assembly resolution

On June 26, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a historic resolution (A/77/L.77) affirming the importance of mental health and psychosocial support. APA’s UN representatives collaborated with the Global Psychology Alliance (GPA) to play an important role in the passage of the resolution, providing input to the Mexican Mission as the resolution was being developed in 2022, and then advocating for the resolution’s passage after it was introduced in 2023.

Many members of the GPA assigned representatives to partner with an APA or Psychology Coalition at the UN (PCUN) member in requesting meetings with the UN Missions from their countries. This outreach led to 10 virtual meetings between leaders of national psychological associations and the UN Missions from their nations—Canada, Hungary, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, the Republic of Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, and Uruguay. The meetings were extremely successful in educating UN Missions about the relevance of mental health in their countries and urging them to support the General Assembly resolution.

Opposing discrimination in Uganda

APA sent a letter (PDF, 97KB) to the Ugandan Ambassador to the United Nations in New York opposing Uganda’s recent Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Drawing on the International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues (IPsyNet) Statement and Commitment, the letter makes clear that decades of research demonstrates that LGBTIQ+ identities and expressions are normal and healthy variations of human functioning and relationships and condemns discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It states that homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexuality, is generally not chosen, is highly resistant to change, and that the human rights of sexual and gender minority people should be respected in order to protect their mental and physical health. The science is conclusive and provides reference points for future amendments to the law.

Presenting psychological contributions to advancing the health of women and girls

APA’s UN team cosponsored with the NGO Committee on Child Rights a virtual parallel event at the NGO CSW67 Forum. The event brought together multidisciplinary experts to discuss the role of digital health in advancing equitable access to mental health services and interventions, including important cultural/equity considerations. Panelists addressed telehealth in Tanzania, text-based interventions in Latin America, telehealth and the deaf community, and wearable devices to support recovery. They provided policy, research, and practice recommendations to inform this year’s Commission on the Status of Women priority theme of, “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” The Commission on the Status of Women’s agreed conclusions affirm the role of technology and innovation in advancing gender equality.

Providing psychological science on risk communication

Representatives from APA’s UN teams in New York and Geneva collaborated to draft a document on best practices in risk communication (PDF, 127KB). Grounded in psychological science, the document advised governments to: Create communications that are clear, concise, and relevant; identify and address barriers to engagement; provide solutions, motivate, and empower action; and tell compelling stories through trusted messengers. The document was conveyed to the Risk Knowledge Team at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Providing IO psychological expertise

On January 13, members of APA’s team at the United Nations and staff at the Office of Applied Psychology facilitated a brainstorming session between members of Division 14: The Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and staff at UN #NewWork, which is a grass-roots campaign to transform workplace culture at the UN. SIOP members provided advice to #New Work on what psychological science tells us about how to: measure culture change, inspire innovation and flexibility, and connect silos within the UN system.

Commenting on mental health and human rights

APA’s UN team, Advocacy Office, Office of International Affairs, and Public Interest Teams (Human Rights, Human Development and Health Equity) collaborated to submit comments (PDF, 394KB) to the World Health Organization and the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights on their Draft Guidance on Mental Health, Human Rights, and Legislation. APA emphasized support for the guidance and suggested several areas for expansion including: acknowledging the history and impact of White, Western hierarchy in mental health theory, practice, and service delivery; strengthening the scope and enforcement of mental health parity laws; proposing the development of or expanded access to mental health care services via telehealth, where technological advances allow; and specifying the need for supportive and accessible spaces to ensure full participation of people with disabilities in the development of legislative policies.

Providing comments to High Commissioner on Human Rights on excessive use of force in policing.

To inform a report from the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights to the Human Rights Council, APA provided feedback (PDF, 232KB) on the "promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers." Drawing from the recent Apology Resolution, APA highlighted the psychological roots and consequences of racism, especially in the context of policing, and provided recommendations to improve policing practices. APA’s comments were cited in the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' final report.

Offering resources to help children affected by war

In response to the war in Ukraine, the APA team at the United Nations sent a document (PDF, 230KB) emphasizing the importance of psychological science and practice in addressing the effects of war on children to the UN Department of Global Communications to disseminate widely to the UN community. 

The document emphasized the importance of increasing resilience and addressing trauma and PTSD to help individuals and communities. The document aligned with other APA responses to the crisis in Ukraine including the Council of Representatives’ policy statement and articles on how to handle the trauma of war from afar and how to talk to kids about the war in Ukraine.

Advocating for the evacuation of mental health professionals from Afghanistan

Following the political upheaval in Afghanistan, APA advocated for the evacuation of a number of mental health professionals facing death threats due to their collaboration with Western institutions. UN representatives collaborated with colleagues from the International Association of Applied Psychology to write an advocacy letter that was disseminated widely at the UN, primarily to the Group of Friends of Mental Health and Well-being (similar to a congressional caucus), and to the New York City Mayor’s Office. APA also sought aid from the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States, while UN representatives continue to request support from Missions to the UN. One colleague has been evacuated; seven more have been approved for evacuation by the US Department of State.

Submitting "Youth Risk Perception and Decision-Making Related to Health Behaviors in the COVID-19 Era" to the WHO

APA prepared and submitted a literature review report entitled, “Youth Risk Perception and Decision-Making Related to Health Behaviors in the COVID-19 Era,” (PDF, 406KB) upon the invitation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide the scientific foundation for their work on a policy brief, which was since published in June, "Young People and COVID-19: Behavioural Considerations for Promoting Safe Behaviours." APA adopted a rapid expert consultation process modeled after that of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to develop the report in one month’s time. Following outreach to about 40 APA Division presidents, a group of 13 member experts was identified and agreed to draw from their knowledge of the relevant psychological literature to address eight key questions posed by WHO related to youth decision-making and risk taking, as well as behavioral interventions. APA’s report findings were initially shared with WHO leaders and with the BIG 6 youth mobilization (+250M young people around the world).

Providing input on impact of violent conflict on children

In response to recent instances of societal conflict, including in the Middle East, APA provided highlights of psychological research regarding the adverse impact of violent conflict on children to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict at the United Nations (PDF, 221KB).