THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL GOVERNANCE ARCHITECTURE OF NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Abstract

This study aims to discuss the factors that hinder the progress to reduce the global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Since the progress rate of global NCDs burden reduction has been declining, the performance of the global governance of NCDs prevention and control can be evaluated. Previous studies have addressed that there have been differences globally in perceiving the urgency of reducing NCDs burden which affect action intensity, but little show the correlation between the available international instruments, norms, and relevant actors. This study uses the fragmentation of global governance architecture framework which analyzes a governance based on its institutional integration, norm conflict, and actors constellation. Academic literature, official documents of international organizations, international instruments, industry documents, and reports were used to support the analysis in this study. The global governance architecture of NCDs prevention and control consists of health- and trade-related instruments, which are based on different aspects of human rights norms. These instruments cause low institutional integration of the governance, leading to the conflicting prioritization between health and trade objectives among state and non-state actors. This study demonstrates how the conflictive fragmentation of the global governance architecture of NCDs prevention and control slows down the decision-making process that is favorable to the global effort to reduce NCDs risk factors.