Civil Society urges to safeguard WHO integrity
Civil society raises concerns over the last draft of the Framework for Engagement with Non State Actors, as it “legitimizes undue influences by the corporate and venture philanthropic sector”.
In an open letter, civil society groups and social movements have addressed the 138th Executive Board of the World Health Assembly on the critical issue of the integrity, independence, and credibility of the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as its ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate.
The negotiations of the WHO governing bodies around the so-called Framework for Engagement with Non State Actors (FENSA) have developed over the last four years. Although the Framework is intended to provide robust safeguards to global health in the face of the growing number of non-State actors, civil society says the last draft “legitimizes undue influences by the corporate and venture philanthropic sector”.
The undersigning emphasize that due to the decreasing funding by UN Member States, WHO has fueled its dependency on earmarked voluntary contributions from major donor states, private sector and philanthropic entities. “Member States must consider the legitimacy of corporate funding of the WHO and the impact of this model on WHO’s constitutional mandate and functions,” reads the letter.
The Executive Board is now running the 138th session of the World Health Assembly (25-30 January)
You can read the letter here.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
-The Executive Board is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the field of health, each one designated by a Member State elected to do so by the World Health Assembly. The main functions of the Executive Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.