Presented at the 64th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, on 15 September 2014.

1. Framework for engagement
with non-State actors
Copenhagen, 15 September 2015
1 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

2. Overview of the reform process on WHO’s engagement
with non-State actors
 History of WHO’s engagement with non-State actors
 Reform process
 Structure of framework for engagement of non-State actors
 Issues raised by Member States during the Sixty-seventh World Health
Assembly and in written comments
 Role of regional committees in the process
 Next steps
2 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

3. 3 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors
History
 WHO Constitution provides mandate for engagement (Article 2 (a) and (b))
• to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health
work
• to establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations,
specialized agencies, governmental health administrations, professional
groups and such other organizations as may be deemed appropriate
 Principles on WHO’s relations with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
approved by first Health Assembly in 1948 and revised in 1987
 Executive Board noted the “Guidelines on interaction with commercial
enterprises to achieve health outcomes” in 2000 (EB107/20)

4. 4 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors
History, cont.
 Traditionally the Executive Board interpreted broadly which NGOs could
qualify for official relations with WHO, including professional groups,
disease-specific NGOs, international business associations and civil-society
groups.
 The 2003 reform proposal of Civil Society Initiative was not accepted.

5. 5 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors
Reform process
 May 2011: Sixty-fourth Health Assembly; reform agenda
 November 2011: Executive Board's special session
 May 2012: Sixty-fifth Health Assembly
 October 2012: Consultation with NGOs
 January 2013: 132nd session of the Executive Board
 May 2013: 133rd session of the Executive Board
 October 2013: first informal consultation with Member States and non-State
actors

6. Reform process
 January 2014: nineteenth meeting of the Programme, Budget and
Administration Committee (PBAC) of the Executive Board and
134th session of the Executive Board
 March 2014: Second informal consultation with Member States
and non-State actors
 May 2014: Health Assembly progress report on reform
implementation (A67/4)
6 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

7. Structure of draft framework
 Overarching framework for engagement with non-State actors, including:
• Rationale, principles and boundaries
• Actors (NGOs, private-sector entities including international business
associations, philanthropic foundations, academic institutions)
• Types of interactions (participation, resources, evidence, advocacy,
technical collaboration)
• Benefits and risk of engagement (including conflicts of interest)
• Due diligence, risk assessment and risk management
• Transparency
• Policy, norms and standard setting
7 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

8. Structure of draft framework
 Overarching framework for engagement with non-State actors, including:
• Association with WHO’s name and emblem
• Relation of the framework with the four specific policies on engagement
• Relation with other WHO policies
• Process of management of engagement
• Terms of reference of the Committee on non-State actors of the Executive
Board
• Official relations
• Oversight of engagement
• Noncompliance with this framework
8 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

9. Structure of draft framework
 Four separate WHO policies and operational procedures on engagement with:
• NGOs
• private sector entities
• philanthropic foundations
• academic institutions
 Each structured according to the five types of engagement
• Participation
• Resources
• Evidence
• Advocacy
• Technical collaboration
9 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

10. Issues raised by Member States
 Conflicts of interest
 Due diligence: process and criteria
 Financial resources from private-sector entities to WHO
 Secondments
 Applicability of provisions of private sector policy to non-private sector
entities
 Official relations
 Boundaries: entities with which WHO will not engage
10 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

11. Issues raised by Member States, contd
 Involvement of Member States in oversight and management of engagement
 Public–private partnerships
 Competitive neutrality
 Medicine donations
 Protection of WHO’s name and emblem
 Evaluation of the framework
 Specific request for action and clarification from the Secretariat
11 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

12. Role of regional committees
Regional committees are invited to:
discuss the progress report on reform implementation (A67/4)
and the framework (A67/6)
report on their deliberations to the Sixty-eighth Health
Assembly through the Executive Board
12 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors

13. 13 | WHO’s engagement with non-State actors
Next steps
The Secretariat will:
 provide a revised version of the framework for the 135th session of the
Executive Board
The Executive Board is expected to:
 debate and provide further input on the Framework
 decide if further consultations are necessary at the Sixty-eighth World
Health Assembly