TOWARDS A NEW POLICY OF WHO ENGAGEMENT WITH NGOs Dr. Daniel Lopez-Acuna Adviser to the Director General and Director of Partnerships 1 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 133 rd 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 2 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 3 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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. 4 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 5 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 . 6 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 . 7 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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. 8 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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. 9 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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. 10 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 11 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 12 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
Consultation Seeking the views of nongovernmental organizations in the development of health policies and strategies 13 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
Accreditation Updating the practices and the criteria for accreditation and of defining modalities of NGO participation in the Governing Bodies meetings 14 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 15 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 16 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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 17 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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. 18 | TITLE from VIEW and SLIDE MASTER | April 30, 2013
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