Resolutions of the World Health Organization on the Election of the Director-General

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 998-1019
Author(s):  
Gian Luca Burci
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Initial Screening ◽  
Executive Board ◽  
Secret Ballot ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The election of the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General is governed by its Constitution in Article 31. Candidates must be appointed by the Health Assembly on the nomination of the Executive Board. Unlike other international organizations in which the decision-making process is largely informal—such as the IAEA and WTO—the WHO procedures were formalized in the 1990s to include: clear deadlines; an initial screening of all candidates; short-listing by secret ballot in case of more than five candidates; compulsory secret ballot voting both in the Board and the Assembly; and a limit of two terms of office of five years each. However, beginning in 2006, some regional groups strongly demanded the introduction of a compulsory rotation of the post of Director-General among the WHO’s regions. The equally strong rejection of that request by other regional groups led to an increasingly polarized debate in the governing bodies of the WHO.

World Health Organization

1958 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-394 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Total Expenditure ◽  
Voluntary Contributions ◽  
Executive Board ◽  
The World ◽  
Malaria Eradication ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Do So

The Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) held its 21st session in Geneva, January 14–28, 1958, under the chairmanship of Sir John Charles. After discussing in detail the Director-General's proposed program of activities and budget estimates for 1959, the Board endorsed the Director-General's effective working budget of$14, 287, 600. It was suggested that in preparing the 1960 budget a greater percentage of the total expenditure should be set aside for strengthening the technical services at headquarters. In pursuance of WHO's policy of complete malaria eradication, the Director-General had drawn up a detailed program covering the operations for the following five years. Noting that the total resources available in the malaria eradication special account amounted to $5,112,000, and that the estimated expenditure for 1958 alone was $5,058,000, the Board expressed the hope that governments able to do so would make voluntary contributions to the account and requested the Director-General to take the necessary steps, including adequate publicity, to obtain additional funds, whether from governmental or from private sources.

World Health Organization

1949 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-164
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Venereal Disease ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Executive Board ◽  
Regional Office ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The Executive Board of the World Health Organization met in Geneva for its second session from October 25 to November 11, 1948. Some of the more important matters considered from an agenda which comprised more than seventy items included: 1) allocation of $100,000 for an extensive research program on tuberculosis; 2) approval of the report of a committee of experts on venereal disease recommending the large-scale use of penicillin in the treatment of syphilis and calling for WHO to stimulate penicillin production and distribution; 3) authorization to the WHO Director-General to create a Bureau of Medical Supplies to coordinate information and to advise governments on questions concerning the procurement of essential drugs, biological products, and medical equipment; 4) allocation of nearly $1,500,000 for the purpose of giving more direct aid to governments in all parts of the world in the form of field demonstrations and the provision of fellowships for medical and public health personnel; 5) approval of research along lines suggested by the International Congress of Mental Health, including comparative studies, surveys and demonstrations in that field; 6) appointment of Lt. Col. Chandra Mani (India) as director of the WHO Regional Office for South East Asia which was to be established early in 1949 in New Delhi, and 7) authorization to the WHO Director-General to sign a working agreement with the Pan American Sanitary Organization to serve as the WHO regional organization for the Western Hemisphere as soon as fourteen of the twenty-one American republics had completed ratification of the WHO Constitution. The next session of the Executive Board was scheduled for February 21, 1949, also in Geneva.

World Health Organization

1952 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-133
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Executive Board ◽  
Regional Organization ◽  
Regional Office ◽  
Regional Director ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Western Pacific

From June 1 to 8, 1951 the World Health Organization Executive Board met for its eighth session in Geneva under the chairmanship of Professor Jacques Parisot. Action taken at this session included authorization of the establishment of a regional organization for Africa, a request that the Director-General (Chisholm) contact member states in Europe concerning establishment of a central regional office in Geneva and immediate constitution of a regional organization, and appointment of a regional director for the western Pacific.

World Health Organization

1953 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-594
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Executive Board ◽  
Total Period ◽  
World Health Assembly ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Technical Discussion

From May 20 to 30, 1953, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization met in Geneva in its twelfth session. For the most part, the Board considered decisions of the Sixth World Health Assembly. One of the major problems was that of technical discussions at Assemblies. The Sixth World Health Assembly having requested the Executive Board to study the matter of organization and conduct of technical discussion at future Assemblies, in the light of recommendations made during that Assembly, the Board made a number of relevant decisions. Among them were the following: the topic for the discussions at the Seventh Assembly should be public-health problems in rural areas, the discussions should be continued on an informal basis and should be limited to a total period of not more than two working days, and the Director-General was requested to take appropriate action to prepare the technical discussions in accordance with this decision. The entire question of technical discussions at subsequent Assemblies was to be considered by the Board at its thirteenth session.

World Health Organization

1948 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 540-542 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
South Africa ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Executive Board ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Program and organization were the most important questions discussed at the First Assembly of the World Health Organization, which was held in Geneva from June 24 to July 24, 1948. Dr. Andrija Stampar (Yugoslavia), who had been chairman of the Interim Commission, was elected president by acclamation. An Executive Board of eighteen members representing the following countries was chosen: Australia, Brazil, Byelorussia, Ceylon, China, Egypt, France, India, Iran, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Union of South Africa, USSR, United Kingdom, United States, and Yugoslavia. A system was adopted whereby the Board Members would draw by lot for the duration of their terms of office. Dr. Brock Chisholm (Canada) was elected Director-General of the organization, which had a membership of 52 countries.

World Health Organization

1954 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-398
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Executive Board ◽  
World Health Assembly ◽  
Financial Difficulties ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Seventh World

The Seventh World Health Assembly met in Geneva from May 4 to 21, 1954, and elected Dr. J. N. Togba (Liberia) as its president. The Director-General of the World Health Organization (Candau) in presenting his report on the work of WHO in 1953, emphasized the “prolonged and extremely grave” financial difficulties of the organization, and noted the adverse effect that curtailment of WHO projects was likely to have on the confidence of member governments in WHO. If WHO were to continue a favorable course of development along lines of more long-term projects, Dr. Candau stated, a more stable financial arrangement would have to be made. The Assembly commended the Director-General for the work performed, approved the manner in which the activities of WHO were carried forward in 1953, and commended the Executive Board for the work it had performed.

scholarly journals Scientific Certainty in a Time of Uncertainty: Predicting Vulnerability of Canada's First Nations to Pandemic H1N1/09

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Spence ◽  
Jerry P. White
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

On June 11, 2009, the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, announced that the scientific evidence indicated that the criteria for an influenza pandemic had been met: pandemic H1N1/09 virus, the first in nearly 40 years, was officially upon us. The World Health Organization has estimated that as many as 2 billion or between 15 and 45 percent of the population globally will be infected by the H1N1/09 virus. Scientists and governments have been careful to walk a line between causing mass public fear and ensuring people take the risks seriously. The latest information indicates that the majority of individuals infected with the H1N1/09 virus thus far have suffered mild illness, although very severe and fatal illness have been observed in a small number of cases, even in young and healthy people (World Health Organization 2009c). There is no evidence to date that the virus has mutated to a more virulent or lethal form; however, as we enter the second wave of the pandemic, a significant number of people in countries across the world are susceptible to infection. Most importantly, certain subgroups have been categorized as high risk given the clinical evidence to date. One of these subgroups is Indigenous populations (World Health Organization 2009c).

Developing Medicines in Line with Global Public Health Needs: The Role of the World Health Organization

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
TIKKI PANG
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Absolute Poverty ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

“I want my leadership to be judged by the impact of our work on the health of two populations: women and the people of Africa.” This is how Dr. Margaret Chan, the current Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), described her leadership mission. The reason behind this mission is evident. Women and girls constitute 70% of the world’s poor and 80% of the world’s refugees. Gender violence against women aged 15–44 is responsible for more deaths and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war. An estimated 350,000 to 500,000 women still die in childbirth every year. The negative health implications of absolute poverty are worst in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Hence, Chan aims to have the biggest impact on the world’s poorest people.

The Reaction to the Ebola Epidemic within the United Nations Framework: What Next for the World Health Organization?

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 405-424
Author(s):  
Pia Acconci
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Security Council ◽  
International Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Director General ◽  
The World ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (who) was established in 1946 as a specialized agency of the United Nations (un). Since its establishment, the who has managed outbreaks of infectious diseases from a regulatory, as well as an operational perspective. The adoption of the International Health Regulations (ihrs) has been an important achievement from the former perspective. When the Ebola epidemic intensified in 2014, the who Director General issued temporary recommendations under the ihrs in order to reduce the spread of the disease and minimize cross-border barriers to international trade. The un Secretary General and then the Security Council and the General Assembly have also taken action against the Ebola epidemic. In particular, the Security Council adopted a resolution under Chapter vii of the un Charter, and thus connected the maintenance of the international peace and security to the health and social emergency. After dealing with the role of the who as a guide and coordinator of the reaction to epidemics, this article shows how the action by the Security Council against the Ebola epidemic impacts on the who ‘authority’ for the protection of health.

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