Observers report (Peter Westerholm)

13th June 2001

I was assigned to attend the WHO Executive Board Meeting in Geneva on 23 and 24th of May as an ICOH observer. Here follows my summary report.

General

The WHO Executive Board 108th session was organized to follow immediately the 54th General Assembly which took place in Geneva at the WHO headquarters. As an observer representing a NGO I was admitted to the gallery reserved for the NGO:s and the press.

I had in advance submitted to the EB secretariat a short paper introducing the ICOH as an NGO organization. I chose, however, after having observed the proceedings during the morning hours, not to ask for the floor to present it. My motive in opting for this was the considerable pressure brought on speakers from the chair to economize use of the floor in order to be able to finish off the agenda during one full session day. It was repeatedly recommended to speakers during the proceedings to address only items on the agenda. I therefore refrained from insisting on access to the floor to introduce the ICOH to the EB 108th session.

The agenda of the EB for the two days of meeting was rather full and the atmosphere was set at dealing with all items in one day in order to allow for early return journeys of delegates. Copy of agenda enclosed as att. 1

Mrs Miriam Abel from Vanuatu was electe to be presiding the EB during the year to come and thereby to chair the EB session. This task was most ably carried out and the session was brought to a close on the first day, 23d of May at 6 p.m.

Material discussed by the EB

There was an abundant output of material for the EB delegates prepared by the secretariat. I am selecting here:

- Outcome of the Fifty-fourth World Health Assembly (EB 108/2; Att. 2)

- Intensifying the response to the conditions associated with poverty – next steps in scaling up (EB 108/3; Att.3)

- Food Safety (EB 108/7; Att.4)

- Report on meetings of expert committees and study groups (dealing with diverse subjects) (EB 108/6; Att. 5)

All these reports were discussed and eventually approved by the EB.

Evaluative comment

My assessment of the observations made in observing the WHO- EB 108th session was that matters of Occupational Health are not visible on the WHO agenda, as reflected in the deliberations of the EB. I therefore hesitate to recommend the ICOH Board to give high priority to a monitoring of the EB sessions with a representative attending sessions in the future as a course of routine.

It is , however, to be observed that the WHO places the following subjects high in priority in a short, mid-term and long-term perspective:

- HIV-AIDS. In the document EB 108/3 you will note the establishment of a Global AIDS and Health Fund of the WHO.

- WHO model list of essential drugs. See EB 108/3. It was emphasized thet the conception of a list of essential drugs for health care should not stop at the agreement on a list. The issues of having the drugs on the list made available and affordable to pouulations in the world needing them also needs to be addressed. In the debate references were given to the recent debate and controversy between the government of South Africa and international farmaceutical firms and corporations on making available drugs for treatment of HIV / AIDS in South Africa

- The global poverty issues

- Food safety (EB 108/7)

If contact and collaboration is sought with the WHO by the ICOH my recommendation is to look at these four above mentioned issues with a view to assess whether ICOH can contribute something material , in the sense of adding value to the WHO efforts. If this can be achieved, the collaboration may be pursued and strengthened on a concrete project level seeking direct contact with WHO executives and responsible officers involved. This seems to me as a preferable strategy, more efficient than the parading of general information about the ICOH structures, functionings and activities.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Westerholm