WHO Executive Board - UK Intervention
This UK statement was delivered at the 144th WHO Executive Board under Item 2: Report by the Director-General.
The WHO Executive Board meets in Geneva, Switzerland.
The UK fully aligns with the statement delivered by Romania on behalf of the EU and its member states.
We would like to thank the DG for his report which highlights the breadth and depth of activity undertaken by WHO. We welcome the DG’s continued affirmation that WHO transformation is progressing, and fully aligned with UN Development System reform, but we now also need to see evidence of concrete action.
We fully support the aims and rationale of the transformation agenda, specifically the focus on organisational integration and demonstration of impact in countries.
This is a member state organisation. We therefore stress again the need for more transparency on the Transformation process - we need the vision and how it will be achieved, to be shared with us, the member states.
Furthermore, staff are this Organisation’s biggest resource; it is vital that you take them with you through this process of transformation, developing a shared understanding through clear communication.
Finally, the UK Government has been very clear that we have a zero tolerance of harassment, bullying, sexual exploitation and abuse. We fully support the initiatives WHO are already taking on this issue.
We reaffirm the importance of WHO’s leadership in empowering staff to report cases of abuse and misconduct. And we expect WHO to play a leadership role in the wider UN system and health bodies as well as driving change internally, including reflecting on the recommendations made by the Independent Expert Panel presented to the UNAIDS Board last year
We also welcome the rapid action being taken concerning the recent allegations, and want to emphasise that we have full confidence in the actions taken by WHO leadership to ensure continued impactful delivery of the WHE programme, particularly during this critical time in the fight against Ebola.