TOWARDS A NEW POLICY OF WHO ENGAGEMENT WITH NGOs...Current practices-Accreditation (cont.) Since 1948 NGOs in official relations are automatically invited to participate into WHO governing

TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013 1 |

TOWARDS A NEW POLICY OF

WHO ENGAGEMENT WITH

NGOs

Dr. Daniel Lopez-Acuna

Adviser to the Director General

and

Director of Partnerships


NGOs in WHO Reform

WHA 65 requested the Director General to present a draft

policy on WHO’s engagement with nongovernmental

organizations to the EB at its 132nd session in January

2013

EB 132 requested the Director General to present

overarching principles for WHO engagement with non-

state actors to the 133rd session of the EB in May 2013

This forms part of the component of improving the

engagement with stakeholders in the Governance pillar of

the WHO Reform process


EVOLUTION

Non- governmental organizations (NGOs), as we know them today,

came into existence in the second part of the nineteenth century.

However the term to designate them originated after the creation of

the United Nations. A provision was made in article 71 of its Charter

to give such organizations consultative status within the Economic

and Social Council (ECOSOC).

NGOs have been defined as any international organization which is

not established by a governmental entity or international agreement’

There are now about two thousand NGOs recognized by the UN

including international, national, or subnational bodies


EVOLUTION (2)

The term NGO has acquired a much wider application and is

generally used to refer to various constituencies.

It encompasses exogenous or indigenous voluntary private non-

profit organizations engaged in relief, rehabilitation and development

programs using finance raised from voluntary, private sources and

donor agencies and managing themselves autonomously at local,

national or international level.

NGOs include charitable organizations; voluntary health agencies;

foundations or grant-making institutions; social welfare

organizations; and professional and trade organizations such as

chambers of commerce and business leagues.


EVOLUTION (3)

Certain types of NGOs are also called voluntary organizations,

development agencies, civil society organizations, membership

organizations, mutual aid societies, advocacy organizations, and

grassroots organizations

Their growth took off after the Second World War, with about 90

international NGOs founded each year, compared with about 10

each year in the 1890s.

After the Second World War, NGOs centered their efforts on “relief

work” in crisis situations (floods, war, and famine). Good part of this

work was done by faith based organizations


EVOLUTION (4)

In the seventies NGOs started concentrating on sustained

development, working through self-help groups on service provision

at the field level.

In the eighties there was a shift towards advocacy, trying to influence

existing large institutions in developing countries to develop pro-poor

strategies.

Since the nineties, and as part of the post-cold war era, the NGO

movement has shifted to a more catalytic role in “people-centered

development”.

NGOs have emerged in large part to bridge the gap between what

governments and corporations can do and what society needs or

expects.


EVOLUTION (5)

An important subset of NGOs is involved directly in public health

issues, seeking to address crisis situations and broad infrastructural

issues in order to improve the overall health and well-being of

communities and vulnerable populations.

Domestic NGOs provide similar services to low-income areas in

addition to deploying resources and manpower during natural

disasters and crises.

. Some NGOs that are voluntary health agencies are more directly

involved in public health issues, often focusing on a particular

disease or risk factor .


PURPOSE

Leverage mutually beneficial cooperation at global,

regional and country levels with a view towards improved

public health outcomes.

NGOs continue to play a critical role in supporting WHO to

fulfill its constitutional mandate.

NGOs have been instrumental in advocating for issues of

public health promoted by WHO and expanding their

outreach and audience.


OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES

WHO is an intergovernmental organization . The responsibility for policy and decision making rests exclusively with the Organization’s governing bodies. No non-State actor can expect to have the decision-making privileges of engagement with the Organization on the same basis as Member States.

WHO is a science and evidence-based Organization espousing a public health approach. The development of norms, standards, policies and strategies must continue to be based in all circumstances on the systematic use of evidence, and the process by which they are derived must be protected from influence by any form of bias or vested interest, commercial or otherwise.

Transparency is the key safeguard that needs to underpin all interactions with non-State actors. WHO will make public the nature of its interactions with non-State actors. All non-state actors in relationship with WHO will in turn be required to make public their organizational objectives, sources of funding and the nature of their relationship with WHO.

Conflicts of interests, real or perceived, individual and institutional must be adequately managed and be seen to be managed in ways that are accessible to all stakeholders.


RATIONALE

Nongovernmental organizations are increasingly

recognized as important actors in social, political and

economic development.

Critical role played by NGOs in bridging the expression of

health with policies in other relevant sectors.

Need for effective engagement with NGOs to ensure better

governance of the growing number of actors active in the

health sector in ways that positively impact on human

health.


Towards a three pronged new policy

To foster collaboration delinking it from the designation in

official relations

To enhance consultation regardless of official relation

status

To enable participation in WHO Governing Bodies through

an accreditation process not conditional on working

relations with WHO


Collaboration

Improving the modalities for engaging

nongovernmental organizations in the

different WHO activities at country,

regional and global level in pursuit of the

WHO General program of Work


Consultation

Seeking the views of nongovernmental

organizations in the development of

health policies and strategies


Accreditation

Updating the practices and the criteria for

accreditation and of defining modalities of

NGO participation in the Governing Bodies

meetings


Current practices-Collaboration

Modalities of collaboration between WHO and NGOs span

throughout the six core WHO functions.

Collaboration takes place at HQ, Regional and Country level

The majority of relations are informal

Need for a component in the policy that fosters and guides WHO

collaboration with NGO's at global, regional and country level

Need for appropriate safeguards to address potential conflict of

interest


Current practices-Consultation

The provision on informal relations in the 1987 Principles

enables WHO and NGOs to consult independently of

Official relations status

NGOs are consulted in the formative stages and revisions

of WHO policy development

Need for a more proactive and systematic approach to

boost this dimension of the engagement and for greater

inclusiveness

Possibility of a global civil society mechanism, of hearings

and of global, regional and country policy dialogues


Current practices-Accreditation

Efficiency and relevance of the Official Relations System has been

questioned

There are183 international NGOs in official relations with WHO

Number of NGOs in Official Relations is less than the number of

NGOs in informal relations

The Official relations System is not effective for WHO Regional and

Country relations

The principles adopted in 1987 have served as an accreditation

policy but not offered a framework for guiding and fostering

consultation and collaboration processes


Current practices-Accreditation (cont.)

Since 1948 NGOs in official relations are automatically

invited to participate into WHO governing bodies

They may speak after member States at the Governing

Bodies and they have to submit their statements 24 hours

in advance

Less than 50% of the NGOs in official relations attend the

WHA and less than 30% the January EB sessions

Need for delinking accreditation from collaboration and to

end the prior scrutiny of statements.

Documents

TOWARDS A NEW POLICY OF WHO ENGAGEMENT WITH NGOs...Current practices-Accreditation (cont.) Since 1948 NGOs in official relations are automatically invited to participate into WHO governing