Breaking the Silence: A Global Push for Suicide Prevention at WHA 2025

This piece is authored by United for Global Mental Health and Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Geneva.

Every year, suicide takes the lives of an estimated 720,000 people, that’s one life lost every 40 seconds. For every suicide death, at least 20 others survive a suicide attempt, often without the support they need. Among young people aged 15 to 29, suicide is the third leading cause of death, robbing communities of futures and families of loved ones. These numbers are not just statistics, they reflect a deep, ongoing crisis that urgently requires global public health and policy responses.

“We never say that people commit heart disease or diabetes, therefore we cannot say that people commit suicide. People die by suicide, and it is our duty as policymakers to treat suicide as a preventable, public health issue.”

Ambassador Leslie Ramsammy, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations Office at Geneva

In May 2025, mental health advocates, policymakers, and global health leaders came together in Geneva, on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly, to spotlight the urgent need for suicide prevention and to commit to coordinated, global action.

Co-organized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and United for Global Mental Health, the session, “Suicide Prevention: A Call for Policy Change and Public Health Action,” provided a vital platform for discussion, knowledge sharing, and collaboration to strengthen global suicide prevention efforts.

The session began with opening remarks from Ms. Marjolijn Sonnema, Deputy Minister of Health of the Netherlands, who emphasized the need for collective international action to break down stigma, share solutions, and promote mental wellbeing. Devora Kestel, Director of the World Health Organisation’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, followed with a powerful call to action, reaffirming the importance of WHO’s LIVE LIFE strategy and highlighting key interventions proven to prevent suicide.

The highlight of the event was a 45-minute expert panel moderated by Paul Bekkers, the Netherlands’ Permanent Representative to the UN. The panel brought together diverse perspectives from around the world, highlighting strategies that have contributed to measurable reductions in suicide rates, including:

Implementing strategic policy changes such as the decriminalisation of suicide and restricting access to lethal means
Integrating suicide prevention strategies into national health systems to ensure broader reach and sustainability
Emphasizing the importance of youth engagement and community-based approaches in suicide prevention
Addressing the urgent mental health needs of displaced and underserved populations, who are often overlooked

One clear message rang throughout: Criminalising suicide does not save lives, support does. Repealing this discriminatory law in at least 24 countries that criminalise suicide is not only a moral imperative but a public health necessity. Panellists also underscored the role of governments in scaling up services and investing in mental health infrastructure that reaches everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

A standout moment of the event was hearing from a diverse lineup of WHO Member States and UN bodies, including India, Guyana, Cambodia, Japan, Bangladesh, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UNICEF. Their powerful statements highlighted innovative national strategies and strong commitments to scaling up evidence-based approaches that can save lives and transform communities worldwide.

As the world looks ahead to the 2025 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, this WHA side event served as a powerful reminder that suicide prevention, including the decriminalization of suicide, must remain a central global priority. Suicide is not only a public health issue; it is a human rights issue, a development issue, and a matter of global justice. It is preventable, and we must respond with the urgency, compassion, and coordinated action it demands.

Learn more about some of the events we co-hosted with partners and global advocates from the Global Mental Health Action Network (each link opens up a short video):