Non-State actors
For WHO to fulfil its leadership role in global health and to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work, it proactively engages with non-State actors for the advancement and protection of public health. This includes engagement with nongovernmental organizations, private sector entities, philanthropic organizations, and academic institutions.
WHO’s engagement with those non-State actors can bring important benefits to global public health and to the work of the Organization in fulfilling its directing and coordinating role in global health. Additional benefits arising from such engagements also include:
- the influence that WHO can have on non-State actors to enhance their impact on global public health or to influence the social, economic and environmental determinants of health;
- the influence that WHO can have on non-State actors’ compliance with WHO’s policies, norms and standards;
- the additional resources non-State actors can contribute to WHO’s work;
- the wider dissemination of and adherence by non-State actors to WHO’s policies, norms and standards.
Effective engagement with non-State actors requires a robust framework that enables engagement, while protecting and preserving WHO’s integrity, reputation and public health mandate. Accordingly, the 69th World Health Assembly adopted the Framework of engagement with non-State actors (FENSA) in 2016. FENSA provides a detailed set of rules for WHO’s engagement with the following types of non-State actors:
- nongovernmental organizations,
- private sector entities,
- philanthropic foundations, and
- academic institutions.
For each of the four groups of entities, FENSA defines a specific set of rules of engagement.
FENSA further obliges WHO to manage any engagement with non-State actors in a transparent manner. Information on non-State Actors in official relations with WHO can be found in the WHO Register of non-State actors, an internet-based, publicly available electronic tool.
Regional accreditation of non-State actors
Regional accreditation of non-State actors is an engagement modality in line with the WHO Framework for Engagement with non-State Actors. It is a privilege that the WHO Regional Committee for Europe may grant to regional nongovernmental organizations, international business associations and philanthropic foundations. It includes an invitation to participate, without the right to vote, in meetings of the Regional Committee and the opportunity to submit written and/or oral statements through WHO/Europe. Applications for accreditation are accepted year round, with full details available at the link below.
