[Check against delivery]

Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is indeed a pleasure to be here at this important occasion today.

The Coalition of Leaders to End TB represents a key opportunity to drive renewed efforts towards eliminating TB as a public health problem by 2030.

UNOPS is a strong supporter of this critical mission.

We are proud to host the Stop TB Partnership - which we have done since 2015. During this time, we have seen the Stop TB Partnership grow significantly, with UNOPS providing a full range of support services to the partnership.

The impact of your work has been immense - yet we know that much more needs to be done.

The fight against TB, to quote the Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, is “not just about global health governance - it is about sustainable development itself.”

A disease driven by health and social determinants - and lest we forget, a disease where 95% of the deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

For this fight to succeed - we need international and national leadership, and action across all the SDGs.

The second United Nations high-level meeting on the fight against TB is a key milestone in this mission. It offers a key opportunity to take stock - and for world leaders to recommit and redouble efforts to rid our world of one of its deadliest infectious diseases.

The coalition you are launching today rightly puts the spotlight on the huge importance of national leadership in this regard. And it is so inspiring to see the many countries represented here today, whose leaders are applauded for their political commitment and leadership to end TB and save lives.

Yet together, we need to do much more to support the national, regional and global efforts to get back on track with the targets and commitments made to stop TB.

UNOPS remains committed to supporting these efforts - and we will continue to do our part to support the Stop TB Partnerships’ leadership to end this deadly disease.