We're co-designers, co-producers and co-consumers of public diplomacy.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
The WHO's official mandate is to promote health and safety while helping the vulnerable worldwide. It provides technical assistance to countries, sets international health standards, collects data on global health issues, and serves as a forum for scientific or policy discussions related to health.
Global health diplomacy is at the core of WHO's work.
It represents an important forum for negotiations on global policy issues that shape and influence the global environment for health. It brings together a wide range of actors in areas that affect public health.
The main goals of health diplomacy are:
1) better health security and population health;
2) improved relations between states and a commitment of a wide range of actors to work together to improve health; and
3) achievement of outcomes that are deemed fair and support the goals of reducing poverty and increasing equity.
What We Do
In our health diplomacy role, the Institute addresses a broad spectrum of health diplomacy activities with multilateral organizations, including the WHO and its World Health Organization Civil Society Commission.
At the intersection of public health and new public diplomacy, we foster critical relationships with multilateral organizations, NGOs around the world, based on the principles of inclusiveness and transparency.
We represent both researchers and practitioners of new public diplomacy in key global discussions and negotiations to protect and promote health and human rights worldwide. Through health diplomacy, the Institute creates pathways to apply its expertise globally, advance innovative solutions through collaboration, and contribute to effective global health policy.
Engagement with multilateral organizations continues throughout the year, not just at WHO events, and the Institute represents the under-represented and minority groups in critical global health discussions with the WHO and other multilateral organizations. Among recent engagements with the multilateral organizations, the Institute was representing these groups in the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.
How can public diplomacy practitioners get involved in WHO's work?
1
WHO's engagement with non-State actors
The World Health Organization has since its establishment collaborated with a broad range of civil society groups covering all areas of WHO’s work.
The Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA) adopted during the Sixty-ninth session of the World Health Assembly (resolution WHA69.10).
2
WHO Civil Society Commission
The mission of the WHO Civil Society Commission is to strengthen dialogue, foster collaboration and provide recommendations to support WHO on its engagement with civil society at global, regional and national levels to achieve health for all and the objectives of the WHO General Programme of Work as well as to accelerate attainment of health-related SDGs.
Doctor/Ph.D. Members and Professional Members of the Institute are invited to express interest in participating in WHO's events.
