APA’s activities at the UN

Explaining the psychological science of childhood poverty

APA submitted commentsopens in new window to the United Nations Inter-Agency Expert Group Meeting on Accelerating Global Actions for a World Without Povertyopens in new window. APA’s input focused on the importance of addressing childhood poverty. It stressed the lifelong consequences of childhood poverty on health, brain development, and social functioning, and recommended more nuanced research and policy interventions such as social protection systems, enhanced employment opportunities, and decent work.

Explaining APA’s work to advance racial justice in healthcare and workplace settings

APA submitted comments (PDF, 241KB)opens in new window in response to an Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights call for input on public and nongovernmental approaches to combating discrimination. APA’s comments highlighted concrete measures that professional organizations can take to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, and related intolerance in healthcare and workplace settings. The comments showed how APA has utilized policies, guidelines, and advocacy to advance intersectional racial equity. For example, APA’s Council of Representatives passed resolutions addressing the role of psychology in dismantling systemic racism (PDF, 192KB)opens in new window and harnessing psychology to combat racism (PDF, 95KB)opens in new window. APA’s Council also passed updated Personnel Selection Procedures (PDF, 358KB)opens in new window that emphasize best practices for the development, validation, and implementation of employee selection procedures, ensuring equal employment opportunity. Additionally, APA staff created an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Framework (PDF, 473KB)opens in new window and APA Services has advocated for legislation that addresses the Black maternal mental health crisis. APA’s comments aim to inform the preparation of the 2026 report of the United Nations Secretary-General to be presented to the 81st session of the General Assembly.  

Advancing psychologically-informed climate action at COP30

APA and the Global Psychology Alliance (GPA) supported a delegation at the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changeopens in new window (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Graciella Faico, PhD, head of sustainability at the Federal Fluminense University, attended COP30 to advance the visibility and practical relevance of psychological science and practice in international climate and sustainability dialogues. Faico participated in many events, for example on climate adaptation to protect mental health and resilience, on the relevance of psychology to motivating low-carbon mobility such as cycling, and on the psychology of mutirão to boost ambitious & just climate governance. To further amplify her message, Faico participated in media interviews and social media videos to translate conference discussions for wider audiences and communicate actionable messages at the intersection of climate and psychology. Ten other APA/GPA delegates from Ireland, Hungary, Kenya, India, New Zealand, the Philippines, the U.K., and the U.S. participated in the conference remotely.

Supporting Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

APA staff from the Public Interest Human Rights Team delivered a “master class” on racism and mental health for participants in the 2025 UN Fellowship Programme for People of African Descentopens in new window. The Fellowship was launched in 2011 by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights Anti-Racial Discrimination Section, and later reinforced by General Assembly resolution A/RES/69/16, which outlines the Programme of Activities for implementing the International Decade for People of African Descent. The master class explored how racism affects mental health and offered evidence-based psychological strategies for wellbeing. APA’s contribution supported the development of emerging human rights leaders and reflected APA’s strategic commitment to applying psychological science to advance racial equity, human rights, and wellbeing across the globe.

APA staff from the Office of International Affairs, Public Interest, and Advocacy prepared and submitted comments in response (PDF, 192KB)opens in new window to the call for inputopens in new window from the 37th session of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (WGEPAD)opens in new window, focused on “Crossings and Journeys: People of African Descent in Global Migration and the Enduring Architecture of Racialization”.  Comments highlighted APA science and policy focused on the psychological impact of family separation, as well as the fear of deportation and harassment from law enforcement within the context of immigration.

On July 14, APA organized a virtual side event at the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Developmentopens in new window. Cohosted with the Permanent Missions to the UN from Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Qatar, the World Health Organization, and the Global Psychology Alliance, speakers explained several important mental health-focused initiatives at the United Nations including: The General Assembly resolution on mental health and psychosocial supportopens in new window, The High-Level Meeting and political declarationopens in new window on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being, and the 2025 Voluntary National Reviewsopens in new window, which incorporate Sustainable Development Goal 3 on good health and wellbeing. View the event recording on Zoomopens in new window.

Advocating for the Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-Being

From April 28-May 2, APA and the Global Psychology Alliance (GPA) joined the Global Mental Health Action Network leading up to and during the Multi-stakeholder Hearing on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health in preparation for a High-Level Meeting and Political Declaration at the General Assembly in September. UN Representatives Irina Feygina, Natalie Rykiel, Kim Baranowski, Debby Fish-Ragin, and Monique Bowen, along with GPA member Alfredo Padilla Lopez, met with the Permanent Missions to the United Nations from Mexico, Chile, Peru, Ukraine, and the European Union to highlight the importance of topics such as social determinants of health, youth mental health, suicide prevention, and service reform. Team members also spoke at or attended events organized by New York University, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization. APA’s intervention at the May 2 Multistakeholder Hearing can be seen on UNWebTV beginning at 2:21.

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

APA submitted comments (PDF, 271KB)opens in new window 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)opens in new window, 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 practiceopens in new window.

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 Supportopens in new window. Cohosted 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 Resolutionopens in new window 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 Conferenceopens in new window 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 Futureopens in new window, to be held in New York in September, where the important Pact for the Futureopens in new window will be finalized. APA was delighted that mental health is included prominently in the conference outcome packageopens in new window.

Advocating for poverty prevention

APA joined with the European Federation of Psychologists Associations (EFPA) to submit a statement (PDF 131KB)opens in new window 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 TVopens in new window.

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’ Associationsopens in new window, the Federation of Swiss Psychologistsopens in new window, and the Swiss Center for Affective Sciencesopens in new window to organize an event at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on “Emotions: A missing link towards long-term sustainability?opens in new window” 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 webpageopens in new window.

Supporting General Assembly resolution

On June 26, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a historic resolution (A/77/L.77)opens in new window 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)opens in new window 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 Rightsopens in new window 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 themeopens in new window 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)opens in new window. 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)opens in new window and staff at UN #NewWorkopens in new window, 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)opens in new window 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 reportopens in new window.

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)opens in new window emphasizing the importance of psychological science and practice in addressing the effects of war on children to the UN Department of Global Communicationsopens in new window 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 letteropens in new window 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)opens in new window 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.opens in new window" 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)opens in new window.