The WHO is an international health organization whose members contribute about 16 percent of the budget. The rest comes from voluntary donations by governments and other private partners. Some of the leading voluntary contributors include the United States, Germany, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These contributions are typically set aside for specific initiatives and are increasingly important to WHO’s mission. However, it is vital that the organization’s goals align with its donors’ priorities.
Primary
The WHO must engage in the global health arena, and develop a stronger role in coordinating and integrating the global health agenda. The WHO has been instrumental in shaping critical global health pathways, promoting the role of health in trade debates, human rights contexts, and public-private partnerships, and has worked closely with UN partners to establish a UN-wide tobacco policy. These efforts require technical expertise and strong leadership. And the WHO must be able to draw together governments, international organizations, and NGOs to help meet their goals.
The WHO’s constitution addresses its organizational structure. It consists of three levels: the World Health Assembly (WHA), Executive board (EC), and Secretariat (DS). The WHO’s constitution also specifies the creation of regional organizations and committees. The remit of the WHO is vast and includes many different sectors. Earlier, its focus was on women’s and children’s health, but today, the organization’s responsibilities include nutrition, sanitation, and malaria.
Functions
There are many functions of the World Health Organization. The organization’s annual Twelfth Programme of Work outlines its work and focuses on the prevention of disease. It is also responsible for tracking health trends throughout the world. Underdeveloped countries have high mortality rates largely due to preventable diseases, malnutrition, and sanitation issues. In this document, we’ll discuss the WHO’s role in these areas and some of the most important projects it oversees.
In terms of international control, this concept is used whenever a state’s function impacts the common life of all states. Whether or not a particular state is involved in international control is an open question, but it is clear that it is the best way to ensure the safety of people in any given region. If the world is to be a safe and secure place to live, a strong global organization must foster cooperation among all its members.
Membership
The process of applying to join the World Organization involves several stages. Each step requires the approval of the Security Council. To be accepted, a State must have the support of nine Council members, with no negative votes from permanent members. From there, the candidate State will be presented to the General Assembly, where it must receive a two-thirds vote. Once accepted, membership takes effect on the date on which the resolution ratifies the admission.
Some member states have external territories dependent on them. While these are not independent states, they still enjoy some degree of economic and political autonomy. As such, the territories that are not official member states of the World Organization are not included in the list of member states. However, many of these territories are considered members in other UN and WTO agencies. They are referred to as observer states on the website. They may participate in the organization’s programs, but do not hold voting rights.
Funding
The WHO budget is facing an uphill climb, as countries are asked to increase assessed contributions for the next few years. In 2022-23, assessed contributions are expected to rise from $489 million to $1.1 billion. This amount is still small when compared to the overall health budget, but will double in the next five years. However, getting this proposal through national parliaments will be a challenge, since lawmakers will ask why they need to increase their assessments by more than half.
One possible solution is to boost World Organization funding by making voluntary contributions to the organization mandatory. This will increase the World Organization’s budget by about 50%, and will increase its ability to respond to health emergencies. The World Health Organization is currently governed by the World Health Assembly, which is the body in charge of the budget, but is allowed to use a flexible resource pool for its programs. But how is the World Organization going to meet this requirement?