GHC Statement on WHO Reform at the 148th Session of the WHO Executive Board

The following statement—from Global Health Council, supported by The Hunger Project was submitted to the 148th session of the WHO Executive Board on Agenda Item 19.2: WHO reform: involvement of non-State actors in WHO’s governing bodies.

We urge the WHO to not re-invent the wheel and to build on the decades of work by the UN System as a whole to formally involve the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGoS) machinery in its governance. MGoS was key in the development of the SDGs. They are democratic, self-governing and inclusive. Formal integration of MGoS into WHO governance will also advance WHO’s voice within the highly active communities of non-State Actors whose partnership is essential to building trust, confidence, and support for WHO and its objectives.