The SAFER initiative was launched to support countries in implementing the most effective and cost-effective alcohol policies, contributing to progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including target 3.5. Introduced at the 2018 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases, SAFER provides a practical framework for translating evidence into action. Its mandate was reinforced and extended through adoption of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022–2030, which calls for coordinated action across the broader United Nations system. This report documents progress since the launch of the SAFER initiative. Governments, civil society, academic institutions and communities have strengthened legislation, expanded enforcement, integrated screening and brief interventions into primary health care, and improved monitoring systems – supported by regional learning platforms that accelerate delivery through peer exchange. SAFER has increasingly functioned as a delivery platform, helping countries to move from commitment to implementation by connecting action across sectors and levels of governance, and by supporting adaptation to local contexts.

The SAFER initiative was launched to support countries in implementing the most effective and cost-effective alcohol policies, contributing to progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including target 3.5. Introduced at the 2018 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases, SAFER provides a practical framework for translating evidence into action. Its mandate was reinforced and extended through adoption of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022–2030, which calls for coordinated action across the broader United Nations system. This report documents progress since the launch of the SAFER initiative. Governments, civil society, academic institutions and communities have strengthened legislation, expanded enforcement, integrated screening and brief interventions into primary health care, and improved monitoring systems – supported by regional learning platforms that accelerate delivery through peer exchange. SAFER has increasingly functioned as a delivery platform, helping countries to move from commitment to implementation by connecting action across sectors and levels of governance, and by supporting adaptation to local contexts.