World Health Organization (WHO)
“The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.”
(Constitution of the WHO)The World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries, and monitoring and assessing health trends.
About WHO
In the 21st century, health is a shared responsibility, involving equitable access to essential care and collective defence against transnational threats.
More than 8000 people from more than 150 countries work for the Organization in 147 country offices, six regional offices and at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition to medical doctors, public health specialists, scientists and epidemiologists, WHO staff include people trained to manage administrative, financial, and information systems, as well as experts in the fields of health statistics, economics and emergency relief. They:
- Provide leadership on matters critical to health and engage in partnerships where joint action is needed;
- Shape the research agenda and stimulate the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge;
- Set norms and standards and promote and monitor their implementation;
- Articulate ethical and evidence-based policy options;
- Provide technical support, catalysing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity; and
- Monitor the health situation and assess health trends.
WHO in Brussels
The WHO Office at the European Union builds and strengthens partnerships and alliances for health with its partners through:
- Communication and advocacy of WHO policies and programmes to partners;
- Negotiation with partners to establish new formal agreements, or update existing ones;
- Analysis and interpretation of health-related developments in partner institutions for WHO offices and programmes; and
- Coordination and collaboration with WHO offices and programmes on cooperation activities between WHO and partners.
The Office specifically builds partnerships with:
- The European Union (EU) institutions, particularly the Commission of the European Communities (EC);
- The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD);
- The General Secretariat of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP);
- The Council of Europe (CoE); and
- Brussels-based civil society and private sector.
WHO and the European Union
The main partner of WHO in Brussels are the European Union (EU) and its institutions. The European Union is an increasingly important actor in global and international affairs beyond Europe and a strong supporter of the UN system, particularly with regard to global security, development and humanitarian assistance. This includes strong support to health and to WHO.
The European Commission has long-standing bilateral relations with the WHO. The current cooperation with the European Commission is based on an exchange of letters concluded in 2000, which aimed to consolidate and intensify cooperation between the two organizations. It identifies a number of priority areas—including health information, communicable diseases, tobacco control, environment and health, sustainable health development, health research—and outlines practical procedures for co-operation.
At the political level, annual meetings take place between the EU Health Commissioner and the WHO Director General. At the technical level, senior officials meetings are likewise held annually, involving officials from various Commission Directorates-General and from WHO offices in Geneva, Copenhagen and Brussels.
More information on the cooperation between WHO and the European Commission can be found on the Public Health website of the European Commission’s Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection.
Contact information:
BRUSSELS
World Health Organization (WHO)
Office at the European Union
UN House
Rue Montoyer, 14
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (2) 506 46 60
Fax: +32 (2) 506 46 66
E-mail: postmaster@who-eu.beHEADQUARTERS
World Health Organization (WHO)
Avenue Appia 20
CH - 1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 (22) 791 21 11
Fax.: +41 (22) 791 31 11REGIONAL OFFICES
• WHO African Region
• WHO Region of the Americas
• WHO South-East Asia Region
• WHO European Region
• WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region
• WHO Western Pacific Region
• Liaison and other offices