World Health Organization

In our role as a Non State Actor (NSA) in official relations with the World Health Organization, Global Health Council participates in: Health Council participates in:

World Health Assembly

GHC offer our members access to the World Health Assembly (WHA) so that they may participate in key discussions with policymakers and provide valuable input into proposed resolutions. Our delegates represent our coalition at various meetings, briefings, plenaries, and side events throughout the Assembly. Non-corporate GHC members in good standing are eligible to apply for GHC’s accredited delegation.

WHA77 will take place from May 27 – June 1, 2024. As a Non-State Actor (NSA) in official relations with WHO, GHC will attend WHA77 to participate in official proceedings, connect with our community, and participate in side events.

WHA77 comes on the heels of a busy spring, with countries continuing to negotiate the contours of a pandemic agreement. Topics such as the pandemic agreement, WHO’s upcoming Investment Round, as well as ongoing conflicts and health crises, are likely to dominate discussions among Member States at WHA77.

GHC Members interested in tracking proceedings closely can easily access the latest information on the assembly via the WHA77 landing page, which includes links to the livestream and important documents, like the provisional agenda.

A recording of GHC’s 101 (Introductory) webinar can be found here and provides more general information about the assembly.

GHC will keep track of WHA77 events on our community calendar with a WHA77 tag. If your organization is hosting an event (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) on the sidelines of WHA77, please submit the event information to our calendar.

The agenda for WHA77 is expansive. GHC will closely track official proceedings related to the following topics:

  • Agenda Item 11.1: Universal Health Coverage
  • Agenda Item 11.8: Antimicrobial resistance: accelerating national and global responses
  • Agenda Item 13.4: INB agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response
  • Agenda Item 15.4: Climate change, pollution, and health
  • Agenda Item 17: GPW14

We will also draft and deliver statements in partnership with interested members and other NSAs, on these issue areas.

Statements GHC made at the 76th World Health Assembly

WHO Executive Board Meetings

The annual WHO Executive Board meeting determines the WHA agenda and addresses resolutions that will be proposed at the convening. GHC actively participates in these meetings, presenting the following statements at the 154th Executive Board meeting in 2024:

Past statements GHC has made at the World Health Organization’s Executive Board Committee meetings include:

Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations 2005

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Member States are working to improve the existing regulations, described in the International Health Regulations (IHR), for reporting public health events. GHC has been a part of the Working Group, sharing the perspectives and recommendations of NSAs in order to influence the outcome of the negotiations.

Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in December of 2021, the WHO established the intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft a treaty or other instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. In February of 2023, the INB released the Zero Draft of the accord, which is currently being considered. GHC has been participating in INB meetings open to NSAs, providing recommendations and comments to the draft.