Re: Time to turn the tide: WHO’s engagement with non-state actors and the politics of stakeholder governance and conflicts of interest
Judith Richter’s article ‘Time to turn the tide” makes an important contribution to the debate which will take place at the World Health Assembly this week. However, can it still, together with efforts of primarily public-interest NGOs, turn the tide? Our NGO, the International Baby Food Action Network together with like-minded allies have been following from the very start the reform debate on what became engagement with non-state actors. We have contributed comments and suggestions at every step of the process. We have been calling for a comprehensive WHO policy on conflicts of interest and other safeguards to ensure WHO’s capacity to fulfill its mandate is strengthened, and its integrity, independence and thus its trustworthiness is restored. We have been hoping that WHO’s reform will strengthen and improve relations with public-interest NGOs so that we could become even stronger allies with and resource for the agency and support its work for Health for All.
In the report Breaking the Rules, which we launched on Friday 16th May, we detailed hundreds of violations by baby food companies of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and many subsequent resolutions of the World Health Assembly which strengthen the Code, close loopholes and respond to the new marketing strategies by the industry. http://2013.pressclub.ch/fr/conference/blaming-and-shaming-milk-companies
The report shows how this sector of industry is in words of Graham Dukes ‘unsuited’ for any ‘close association with WHO’. Yet, the new policy for non-state actors opens the direct access of virtually any industry sector to WHO policy-making bodies in the name of ‘inclusiveness’. If representatives of WHO Member States are concerned to protect and promote the integrity, independence and trustworthiness of WHO, I strongly urge them to reconsider whether they wish to take the WHO in this direction.
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Re: Time to turn the tide: WHO’s engagement with non-state actors and the politics of stakeholder governance and conflicts of interest
Judith Richter’s article ‘Time to turn the tide” makes an important contribution to the debate which will take place at the World Health Assembly this week. However, can it still, together with efforts of primarily public-interest NGOs, turn the tide? Our NGO, the International Baby Food Action Network together with like-minded allies have been following from the very start the reform debate on what became engagement with non-state actors. We have contributed comments and suggestions at every step of the process. We have been calling for a comprehensive WHO policy on conflicts of interest and other safeguards to ensure WHO’s capacity to fulfill its mandate is strengthened, and its integrity, independence and thus its trustworthiness is restored. We have been hoping that WHO’s reform will strengthen and improve relations with public-interest NGOs so that we could become even stronger allies with and resource for the agency and support its work for Health for All.
In the report Breaking the Rules, which we launched on Friday 16th May, we detailed hundreds of violations by baby food companies of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and many subsequent resolutions of the World Health Assembly which strengthen the Code, close loopholes and respond to the new marketing strategies by the industry. http://2013.pressclub.ch/fr/conference/blaming-and-shaming-milk-companies
The report shows how this sector of industry is in words of Graham Dukes ‘unsuited’ for any ‘close association with WHO’. Yet, the new policy for non-state actors opens the direct access of virtually any industry sector to WHO policy-making bodies in the name of ‘inclusiveness’. If representatives of WHO Member States are concerned to protect and promote the integrity, independence and trustworthiness of WHO, I strongly urge them to reconsider whether they wish to take the WHO in this direction.
Competing interests: No competing interests