Resolution On WHO Work With Non-State Actors Down To Wire

With the end of the annual World Health Assembly looming tomorrow, member states are working away behind closed doors to finalise a resolution on how the World Health Organization shall work with outside actors going forward.

The WHO in its diverse activities, is working with a variety of outside actors. Concerns about undue influence from outside actors arose against a background in which WHO faced a lack of government funds. It spurred the request by member states to establish a framework that would govern the WHO’s relationships with actors such as the private sector, philanthropic organisations, and civil society.

The 69th World Health Assembly is taking place from 23-28 May.

After WHO Director General Margaret Chan announced the near-resolution of the Framework of engagement with non-State actors (FENSA) in her opening speech, pressure was high on delegates to find consensus on the draft text which still bore some areas of disagreement.

As one delegate told Intellectual Property Watch, “nobody wants to be seen as the bad guy” (IPW, Public Health, 23 May 2016).

Closed drafting groups were organised during most days of the WHA to work on the draft text [pdf]. It appears that late yesterday, the draft resolution had been cleaned of brackets but hurdles remained in the resolution to be adopted by the WHA at its closing plenary session tomorrow. A copy of the cleaned text could not be obtained by press time.

In the evening yesterday, according to sources, Norway, supported by some European countries, proposed that the implementation of the framework be considered at the next WHA, allowing the WHO to prepare for the change. This was resisted by a number of countries.

Delegates went in discussions late into the night and this morning they told Intellectual Property Watch that Norway had shown flexibility and the FENSA implementation would start from its adoption at the WHA this year.

Today the discussions revolved around the resolution to be adopted by the WHA, and in particular the policy that the WHO is expected to set up to prevent conflict of interest.

Delegates went back to informal consultations this afternoon to try to find agreement.